These Words That Bind
by MaraudingManaged
Summary: Hermione Granger was not one for flights of fancy, but just this once she is acting on impulse, after finding the old diary of a young Remus Lupin. RL/HG. Post HBP, not DH compatible and AU baby! A re-write of the fic "Dear Diary" by StAlex. HIATUS :
1. And Who are You?

**Hello Hello! **

**Now, I'm making this very, very clear! If anyone reads this story and thinks it's familiar, or they've read it before – you probably have, under the name of "Dear Diary" by StAlex. I AM THE SAME PERSON! I PROMISE! My old account – the one under StAlex – is unusable because I can't log onto it. I can't log onto it because the email I used for that account got hacked, and I couldn't remember my password for it... and over time I forgot which email I used too – it's over two years since I've logged on to that account. I've tried to contact the staff but they've ignored me... what else can I do? I assure you, I am the same person that wrote "Dear Diary", and this is a completely new and edited version of it (mainly because I'm 18 now, not 15, and I'm at University studying English and Music). **

**PROMISE! **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story, it was good fun to re-write something I loved when I was 15, and now I can look at it with a better understanding of language. I would also like to point out that this is Pre-DH and AU all the way, baby, because I can't change it for plot purposes. I'm hoping to update around once a week, usually at the weekend and usually on a Sunday. I will try to stick to this as well as I can.  
**

**Oh, and admin? This story is written as close to grammatically perfect as I think is possible for me to do. I have read this chapter (and chapters 2-6, for that matter) at least 20 times apiece, so I should hope I've not missed anything. If you pull this story for that reason, I will post this on another site. Yes, I am a little bitter, but as a fairly good English Language and Literature student, I think I have that right to be bitter. **

**All this said, ****please let me know what you all think of the re-write; yes, no, butt ugly? Review, dear readers, because it makes me happy! **

**Much Love**

**MM**

**.**

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  
**

Hermione Granger sighed, glancing around the library before back to the stacks of notes she was making ahead of her NEWT examinations, exams which would not take place for another 7 months – it was November already. She rubbed her eyes, checking her watch for the time – 5 past 10; past her curfew, even as Head Girl. Hermione threw her quill down in frustration, none of the information she desperately needed to remember would come to the surface and she was unsure as to how long she could keep going before her body demanded rest. She stood, the library was deserted, and Madame Pince had left her the spare keys to let herself in and out as she wished. It was generous of the Librarian and had to be approved by the Headmistres, but few ever understood her attraction to the dark and musty rows of books like Irma Pince did. She stepped around her chair and ran her fingers along the spines of the books in the large library, pausing as her finger stopped against a small red book that looked like a diary. She considered looking at it for a moment, before shrugging and deciding rather to find a new Defence Against the Dark Arts book that had been recommended to her by Professor...

Hermione shook her head with a laugh as she found the heavy volume. How many times had he asked them to call him Remus, not Professor Lupin? But still Hermione found it hard, though Ron and Harry had little difficulty with calling him by his given name. Maybe it was because she had too much respect for those who provided education to others – she could never imagine calling Headmistress McGonagall _Minerva_, for heaven's sake – or that she felt it an intrusion on Tonks, who had just married the ex-Professor. It seemed a little too personal, although Tonks had little problem with them continuously popping in to see him or writing owls asking questions. She often added little bits of comic relief to Remus' letters – a scribble in the middle of the page telling Hermione to tell Harry to write, or telling her to go out and get _drunk _with him sometime, quite cheekily. Hermione secretly thought it would be good for Harry to leave the castle and do something other than research Horcruxes, but there was no way she would leave the confines of the castle when they were not permitted to unless it was absolutely necessary.

_But_, Hermione thought quite sadly, _maybe it is absolutely necessary to take Harry's mind off his upcoming struggle and battle to defeat Voldemort. _She resolved to talk to Ron about it sometime within the next week, and see if there was a way they could safely get Harry out of the castle and have a night together as best friends, just the three of them, and Ron could help her to make him laugh again – Merlin knew, she was not funny in the way Harry needed her to be. If he needed quick-witted humour, the humour of a well-read, mature student, then she would be in her element; but no, he needed something more simple. Bad jokes, silly tales, joke shop gags. Hermione wondered for a moment if she could ask Fred and George for some help; and then laughed out loud at the ridiculous thought. She doubted Canary Creams would work well enough, but they _might_ have another idea; _if _she could get them to sit down and stay still for more than five minutes over the Christmas holiday, and _if_ they came down to Hogsmead as they had promised Ron they would. She somehow doubted she could get them to be at least a little serious for long enough – or at least, get _Fred_ serious enough. George, on the other hand... he had always seemed a good deal more sensible than his twin. She continued to muse as she checked out her book by herself, wrote it in the Librarian's log, and stole away in the shadows back to the Gryffindor common room, careful not to be seen by anyone.

It was a good few days later that she had the chance to go to the library again – she promised Harry and Ron to go watch them play Quidditch, and then help them with the current project on the search for the Horcruxes. They had destroyed the diary, the ring was gone too, and after going back to Grimmauld place in September one evening (and oh, how Hermione wished they could have told someone, but Harry insisted that he was meant to keep it a secret) they found the necklace in the protection of Kreacher. After a long argument and a lot of persuasion, Harry had exchanged the real locket for the fake one, and taken it back to Hogwarts, where it was now hidden in a charmed, hexed, transfigured and well stashed box, where only Harry, Hermione and Ron knew it existed and only they could get into it. They knew that one was his snake, Nagini, and that two others must exist if his soul was split seven ways, and were likely to be artefacts of the founders, as Dumbledore had suggested to Harry.

It was then, as Hermione stepped into the aisle where all the Defence Against the Dark Arts books were referenced, she saw the red book again. She knew the books so well here – it was a secret love, one that she never quite got around to telling anyone. Though it hadn't been her best subject in her OWL's, she had become more determined in learning about it than ever before, and had quietly taken aside the new Defence teacher Professor Savage. She was a competent teacher, Hermione mused, but she taught the mass-practical classes only what they needed to know to pass the exam, and some of it the class already knew thanks to the DA. Hermione had taken it upon herself to bring the new Professor up to speed on the workings of the DA, and in return she had offered Hermione private classes once a week to work on her weaknesses – _including those blasted Boggarts_, Hermione thought with a shudder.

She returned to looking at the little red diary. It wasn't calling to her, or any such nonsense, but she was a curious creature by nature; and if it was a book she had not read, she was bound to be interested. Still slightly indecisive, she pulled it out, and her eyebrows rose as she flicked through the empty pages as she walked back to the table where she had set out her extra work for Defence. Only one page had anything write on it, the very first, and it simply said _Christmas __1976, Property of an Undisclosed Person Who Would Quite Like to Remain Anonymous, Thank You Very Much. Please Put it Back Where You Found it._ Hermione's immediate reaction was to giggle at the title, and was about to put it back, before a thought occurred to her.

She frowned, noting that the diary was very similar to that of Tom Riddle; like that which Harry had rescued Ginny Weasley from in his second year. Hermione shuddered, but didn't put the notebook down. Instead she sat down and debated what she should do with it – She doubted it was another Horcrux, the date put it well out of context, but it could be something with a darker nature than it outwardly appeared. Shaking her head and rolling up her foot long essay, she packed her bag and leisurely strolled back to the Gryffindor common room to sit in front of the fire, but all the chairs were taken. Many people, like her, seemed to think getting a head-start on NEWT's revision was a good way to spend the Christmas holidays, though they were yet weeks away. She spotted Harry and Ron on a sofa with notes scattered around them and both looked to be asleep. She sighed, shaking her head at the boys, and stood in front of them, debating what to do next. On the one hand, she could simply shout and wake them, or she could be a little more inventive. With a grin, She put her bag on the floor, and took out her wand, charming their notes to roll up and start beating them around the head.

"Hermione…" Ron whined, flapping his hands at the parchment, wincing. Harry jumped, and she heard him laugh before the two woke up enough to find their wands and end the charm.

"Thank you; Hermione Granger, ladies and gentlemen! Out to murder us with parchment!" Harry declared dramatically, and Hermione shrugged, as if it were an everyday occurrence. "What was that for?"

"You were asleep. Now you're not." Ron blinked, and then looked at his notes, which were covered in drool. "Ronald Weasley, that is disgusting." Hermione grimaced, edging away from Ron a little.

"You could have just waved one of those singing diaries in our faces." Ron grumbled before stacking up his notes again. "Right, so Erwin the Bald destroyed the castle of Thulk the Strong which started the troll wars…"

"No, Ron, that's wrong, totally confused with the goblin rebellion of 1892…" She sighed and made a copy of her own notes on the troll wars and handed them to Ron, who grinned at her. "Harry, let's have a look at yours then… oh these are good… yes you even remembered about the truffles… no you forgot this though, here … you need to explain about the river crossing, that was important…"

The trio sat around the fire, continuing the notes on History of Magic, and for a while Hermione forgot about the small red diary that resided in her school bag until the next morning, when she emptied her bag to start her Arithmancy notes.

.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

"Right then, you. I want to know exactly what you do." She sat with her legs crossed on her bed, leafing through the empty pages once again. She picked up a highlighter that would detect invisible ink… instead some glowing blue writing appeared off the page

_I won't be read that way, not at all sorry about it either. Kindly go away._

Hermione gaped, and then picked up her quill, writing on the page, forgetting that this was how the fiasco with Tom Riddle's diary began. Ginny had never fully explained to Hermione what had happened with the diary, and how it communicated with her, and Hermione had not wished to pry at all – she understood completely that the younger girl would not wish to relive it.

She didn't quite know what to put, but she knew that there was one place to start, something she needed to make certain of. If the person responded with something to do with "Tom" or otherwise a sharp "I'd rather not say", then she was taking the diary straight to McGonagall.

_Who are you?_

Remus Lupin was laid on his stomach in his room, contemplating what to write in his diary. He had already described his latest transformation and recent escapades with the Marauders, and was at a loss as to what he should write next. He jumped as flowering ink appeared on the page, and he pushed his hair, which had fallen into his eyes as he rested his head on his arms, watching as the neat, flowing script formed a single question.

_Who are you?_ It said.

Remus knew that this did not make sense. How on earth could his diary talk back to him? When it was given to him as a gift last year from James, he was told that it was enchanted so it could only be read by him, and would appear to be a blank notebook to anyone else. It hadn't done this in the whole year he'd had the diary; he just couldn't fathom a possible reason to explain the strange actions of his book, and so did only what seemed logical. He wrote back.

_What? _

Remus winced at his response as it came to settle in a spidery scrawl underneath the writing of this other being. Couldn't he have come up with something far more intelligent than "What?".

_I said, well, wrote, 'who are you?'. I can read what we have both written, so I would think that you could see it too. Now if you wouldn't mind, could you please answer the question? I am trying to confirm what you are – or if you are a dark witch or wizard._

So, this person thought they were clever, did they? Remus' eyebrows rose, but he remained on his guard, as this other person clearly was. They must be living with this constant threat of You-Know-Who, it was good to remain vigilant.

_I assure you, I am no dark wizard. I could ask the same question of you, and I do – but I will grant you my name. John. I attend Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, under Albus Dumbledore. Have you heard of it?_

Hermione paused, wondering if this was the person's real name. She had a feeling, as it was such a common name, that it was not – but it was not a strong wizarding name and so probably wasn't Voldemort. He would never have taken a very clearly muggle name. The strange thing was that this _John_ said he was at Hogwarts, but she had never heard of a John in Gryffindor house, so maybe he was in another? She tried to recall the name at a Sorting before she wrote back, using her middle name for safety.

_I'm Jean... I have indeed heard of Hogwarts, I'm a student here! I'm in my 7th year. I can't think of ever hearing of a John in my house or any other, and I'm Head Girl!_

Remus stopped dead in his tracks. No, this girl could not be at Hogwarts, or be Head Girl – it just wasn't possible. Lily and James were Head Girl and Boy, and he was a prefect, so he would have met her at a meeting!

_Gryffindor... but you can't be at Hogwarts and be Head Girl! My friend is Head Girl, and one of my best friends is Head Boy. I don't know who you are, but I don't think you're who you say you are, so I think it might be time to just... stop this, whatever this is._

Hermione frowned. That couldn't be right – Harry was Head Boy, as Dumbledore had wished if they came back to Hogwarts. Unless...

"Oh, how stupid of me!" She looked at the date on the first page, confirming her suspicions. She had found a diary of a past student at Hogwarts! "How very strange! Who would have been in that year?" she mused out loud as she wrote back.

_I'm in Gryffindor house, too. I'm nothing evil, I promise you! I'm trying to fight it, actually, with... well, I can't tell you about that. It says in the front of this diary "December 1976"... So I'm assuming it is now that year, or the year after?_

Remus frowned. He should know her, and she should not have his diary. _How_ could she have his diary, when it was in his own hands? He couldn't piece the clues together, and was feeling very stupid at that point.

_Right, it's 1977… what's that got to do with the price of butterbeer? And why don't I know you? If you are in Gryffindor, I should know you at least by first name – I'm a prefect._

Hermione didn't know what to say, other than the truth. It was crazy to believe! It wasn't possible, was it? Well, it had to be, she reasoned as she chewed the end of her quill with unconcealed excitement.

_Oh ... Well, you see... oh, you won't believe me! But it's December 1997. Yes, you read that right; December, 1997. Oh, Merlin!_

Remus laughed at her, but couldn't help but wonder how she had got hold of his diary. He prayed the charm hadn't worn off and Jean couldn't read it. Lord, if she knew the real him in the future, it would be interesting if she figured out who he was. It wasn't going to happen, no!

_Oh Merlin is right. I can't talk to you; you've got to burn that diary. I might be a part of your future, or someone I know might be. I can't talk to someone twenty years into the future, it could bring about a catastrophic paradox and neither of us can risk that._

And then it clicked. Hermione gaped at the diary, mouth slack and eyes wide. 20 years ago! That would have meant... this had to be... and if he was in their year, which he had to be, of course, and if he was one of James' best friends, and Lily was head girl with him... it had to be one of the Marauders. She considered how to broach the subject, but decided it was best left until the end of the conversation – she had an idea that could work very well if this person was really one of the infamous Marauders. She prayed it wasn't Sirius – or Peter, for that matter. And it would just be odd if it was Remus, because he would develop these new memories, wouldn't he? Well, it might then be better if it were Peter, or Sirius...

_I'm not going to burn the diary. I don't know who you are, so I think we're safe for now. Life can't get much more dangerous than it is now._

_Why is everything so dangerous?_

Hermione thought his question perfectly innocent, and so she decided that telling him Voldemort hadn't been defeated wouldn't make much difference to him.

_We're on our way to destroying Voldemort, once and for all. He was thought dead around 17 years ago, but he's come back and he's after my friend... but I can't exactly tell you why he's after my friend, because then it might make things worse for you... Merlin, I can't even tell you his name!_

Remus sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he tried to make some sort of sense out of the words on the page. It seemed that no time or place was safe from Voldemort.

_How did he manage to come back? How did he die the first time? Is it anything you can tell me?_

Hermione looked at the dainty wizarding watch on her wrist; it was getting quite late and she was tired, but considered what she could say that wouldn't change her present, or their future.

_I can't say what happened or how he came back – only that it is possibly the darkest magic known to wizarding kind. I really should go – maybe writing to you isn't the best idea, after all. Goodnight, John._

_No! Jean, don't go! Please!_

Remus glared at the book; there was no reply.

.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Hermione couldn't concentrate in Transfiguration, or in Potions. Harry was thoroughly absorbed in his work, learning everything he could with unnatural zealousness; for him, anyway. He picked up on her distraction immediately, but couldn't bring himself to ask what was wrong – she was probably just worrying about NEWTs, or an essay she'd not finished yet. As far as he was concerned, it was a relief that she wasn't pestering him about doing things wrong, or asking him if he'd finished yet – he wasn't willing to disturb that peace.

Truthfully, she was fretting over the diary constantly. She couldn't tell Harry or Ron about it... She couldn't tell _anyone_ about it, because she knew that it would be taken away from her to be destroyed. She was intrigued, she wanted to learn exactly who this other person was – if it was one of the people she suspected, Harry would want to know. Especially if it were Sirius – and it seemed like Sirius, to her. The attitude, the wanting to know things and wanting to be a part of things... it all led her to Sirius.

The young Remus Lupin was equally distracted, and found himself periodically flipping through the diary to see if she had written anything to him, the mysterious Jean. She seemed smart, and careful of what she was telling him, making sure she played by the rules as much as she could.

"Oi, Moony, put that damned book down and come and help us set up for the party!" Sirius called from the other side of the common room as he ran in, breathless, and with a sigh Remus closed the larger text that was hiding his diary. "Sometimes, I wonder why we made friends with you." The dark-haired wizard said, throwing a box of streamers at him, whilst climbing up onto a chair and attempting to hang the streamers from the ceiling.

"Because otherwise you'd be failing every lesson, and you know you couldn't resist my animalistic charm." Remus took out his wand and began to charm the ribbons to hang from the ceiling, making Sirius groan as he struggled to do the work by hand.

"Why don't I know that spell?" He whined, flicking his hair out of his face dramatically.

"Why don't you pay attention in Charms?" Remus responded in kind, making his friend huff and fall into a chair in a sulk. "Hey, I'm not going to do all the work you know, I have things to do, so start decorating!"

Sirius looked momentarily stunned before standing and drawing his wand from his pocket. "Right, matey, teach me this charm." He stood with one leg in front of the other, leaning in the most ridiculous stance that made Remus laugh. "Oi! I can do more interesting things with this wand than hang decorations, so..."

He wanted to tell him to do it all by hand just to piss Sirius the hell off, but decided that if he wanted to catch Jean tonight, he needed to get the decorations for the party finished as quickly as humanly possible. If that meant attempting to teach Sirius a spell, then he would have to do it.

"Basically, Paddy, it's just a levitating charm and a sticking charm in quick succession, it's all in the wand movement...Why are we even holding this party?"

"Because, dear Moony.." He pointed out of the window towards the Quidditch pitch, where it was getting very dark. "Gryffindor have just won against Slytherin, and I think that's cause enough for a party, don't you? Now, you finish here, and I'm going to get down to Honeydukes. Wormy's already gone to get butterbeer and more...fiery...substances for the drinking pleasure of Gryffindor house."

The dark-haired wizard winked at his friend and disappeared up the stairs to the boys dormitory. Remus never saw him come back down, but saw the portrait open and close. How on earth did he manage to get conned into these sorts of things? Eyeing the diary a final time – no words from Jean were there – he started to hang up the decorations as quickly as possible, pushing a few tables together. Transfiguring a piece of parchment into a tablecloth, he quickly grabbed a quill and drew out "Gryffindor: Hear us Roar" in a well-practised calligraphic hand. He supposed, after nearly seven years, he was used to impromptu parties. Drawing some Quaffles and Bludgers and Snitches, he charmed them to move around the parchment individually, and enlarged the parchment and hung it expertly over the entrance to the common room. It was standard practice, really, Remus thought with an undisguised grin, and it had been too long since there had been a party in the Gryffindor common room – since they won the Quidditch cup last year, in fact. With James as team captain again this year, there was little doubt over another spectacular win.

Remus sat down once his work was complete. Opening the diary again, still hidden by _Hogwarts; A History_, he watched for the pretty script that indicated Jean was writing to him.

_Hello John... I'm not sure if I should be writing to you, really, but I... well, I'm not even sure why I'm writing at all.  
Hello, John, are you there?_

_Yes!_ Remus scribbled back, quill scratching on the soft paper of the diary. _I'm here, I was just hanging some decorations. We just won against Slytherin, apparently, so it's time for a house party._

_Oh, that's good. I'm not much of a fan, really, though my two friends are really passionate about it. By the way, I was doing some reading about past Head Girls and Head boys – I think the ones for your year should be Lily Evans and James Potter – is that right? _

Remus was impressed. The girl had gone out of her way to do her research on his year, it seemed, which he found quite sweet and yet amusing. He was also intrigued that she wasn't a Quidditch fan – that was something quite unusual, though he wasn't an avid fan himself.

_Dead on the mark, Jean. I'm surprised that a) you did your research and b) you're not a Quidditch fan._

_Neither are you, it seems, or you would have been at the match, not hanging the decorations. And, well, some of my more impolite teachers have said previously that I am an insufferable know-it-all. It used to be quite insulting, but it's coming in handy now, I must say. I suppose I'm quite boringly bookish really..._

Remus interrupted before she got halfway through her sentence. She was being beyond stupid if she thought that bookish was a bad thing – it insulted him, for one, and insulted her own intelligence

_There's nothing wrong with being bookish. I'm bookish, too – though I suppose I've got into my fair share of trouble with the guys. There's four of us, you see... and well, we've developed a bit of a reputation._

At the other side of the conversation, Hermione stopped dead. Bookish, a group of four friends... there was only one person it could be. She shut the book with an audible slam and closed her eyes, trying not to hyperventilate. Remus Lupin. She was talking to the younger, Marauder-version of Remus Lupin.

What on _Earth _was she going to do now?

.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Remus Lupin, in the present time, grabbed his head and hissed in pain. Molly Weasley glanced at him, but on her questioning he assured her he was quite well, it was just a headache, and yes, a headache potion would be much appreciated. Something was not right – it wasn't the mind invasion of legillimency, but it was as if memories were being torn to the surface still. Sat in the common room, writing in his diary (one he had lost long ago, sometime during his 7th year), the diary writing back, and helping prepare for a Gryffindor party in the common room...

_The diary writing back!_ Remus sat bolt upright, eyes wide. That had never happened, he was sure of it, but yet he knew with a certainty that it _did_ happen, and the conversation with Sirius had happened, and the witch at the other end of the diary, _Jean_, had not written back.

Remus tried to get a mental grasp of the information that Jean had offered, trying to find out who she was, but the facts slipped away as if it was part of a dream. All he had was that name, and that she was in Hogwarts, and that was not at all useful, because Remus _had_ to get that diary back, before his younger self got any ideas... like trying to research time travel. He remembered his young, reckless self far too well, and the bookish personality, which could lead to catastrophic consequences for poor Jean and himself.

"Molly, are the Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny coming home for Christmas?" He asked the plump witch as she offered him a small glass of headache potion.

"No, Remus, not this year. I offered, but they said they needed to be at Hogwarts and well, I don't know what they're doing, but Harry seems to think it's very important. Of course, Ginny is staying with him, so..." Molly looked sadly out of the window of the Burrow. "Why did you want to know, dear?"

"Nothing important, Molly, there was just something I needed to check with Hermione." Remus thought that Hermione was the best place for him to start, he was sure that she would know something about the mysterious Jean – and if not, she could help him find her so he could get his diary back. "Well, Molly, what time do the rest of the Order get here?"

"When they get back from escorting Tonks to Hogwarts for a check with Poppy. Four months along already!" Molly gushed. "Have you thought of any names yet?"

At the talk of his baby, Remus pushed all thoughts of the diary and the witch out of his mind, settling into the comfortable topic of fatherhood.

Hermione, however, was still in shock as she looked at the book. She had hoped it was Sirius that she was talking to, because it couldn't affect him in the present; but no, it was Remus. She needed to get his diary to him right away, of course, it was the reasonable thing to do; but Hermione's interest had been piqued, and now she wanted to learn more about the young Remus Lupin.

She wondered if it was affecting him in any way – but she presumed that if it was he hadn't noticed at all, because he would have contacted her to find out about the student so he could get his diary back; or rather, get Hermione to get his diary back, under the pretence that it was of importance to the Order or something similar. It wasn't that Remus was predictable that Hermione had realised this, but rather it was what she herself would have done, and they were quite similar.

"Hey, Hermione! Tonks is here and she's asking to see you before she goes!" Ron bounded into the common room, waving her over quickly. "Don't know why she can't go to St. Mungos, myself. It's not like Madam Pomfrey has nothing better to do."

"Ron." Hermione sighed. "What is Professor Lupin?"

"Insane, for marrying that one..."

"Ronald!" She exclaimed, and Ron looked sheepish. "That was mean. And the Professor is a Werewolf, or had you forgotten that, along with the charms assignment that is due in tomorrow?"

"That's due in _tomorrow_? Bugger! Hermione, Tonks is in the hospital wing, see you later!" Hermione sighed, waving as Ron ran back the way they had come, and she continued on to the hospital wing alone.

"Tonks, your hair is such a fetching shade of...what colour _is _that, exactly?" Hermione laughed, greeting the older witch with a hug.

"Wotcher, 'Mione, and don't you start! Trouble, 'ere," She pointed to the growing swell of her stomach. "Thinks it's funny to change my hair to foul colours every time he kicks! Oh, please don't tell Remus, he's not supposed to know that he's a boy..." Tonks babbled, hands covering her mouth and eyes wide.

"It's fine, honestly. What did you want to see me for?"

Tonks' eyes darkened. "I've been following up what you asked me about, about if the Blacks have any items of the Hogwarts founders...and I found this, and I don't like it." Tonks reached under her bed and pulled out a bag, greenish coloured hair falling into her eyes. "That's a really disgusting colour, boy-oh." She told her stomach fondly, making Hermione smile briefly. "I've cast a few charms on it, and Hermione, it's pretty dark. More than pretty... but I just can't destroy it." The witch look bewildered as she passed the small item, wrapped in a black cloth, to Hermione. "It's Hufflepuff's cup, mum found it for me and has me under an oath that I will not tell anyone but you about it."

"Thanks Tonks. I hope you don't mind if you don't get this back, but I can't exactly say why and Dumbledore swore Harry to secrecy, and so consequently I can't say anything either." Hermione slipped the wad into the pocket of her robes.

"Nuff said, Hermione." Tonks raised both her hands. "'Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies', right? I just wish you'd let us help you. Remus is going mad stuck at home."

"Right." Hermione said firmly. "And you don't know how much you've helped by getting me this, really. We're one step closer to our goal now, but please keep looking. And the darker the object seems, the more likely it is to be the one we're after."

"You know, that makes me think of something..." Tonks started to say, looking thoughtfully at Hermione.

"It's safer that as few people as possible know, but if you do think of something, just keep it to yourself, if you can. I'm sure we can trust Remus to know, but no-one else. Harry, and anyone else who knows, is in very serious danger." Hermione was starting to feel a little panicked as she thought about the danger Harry was in, but she was trying to drop dungbomb sized hints for Tonks to pick up on. "Remember: very dark magic and important magical objects linked to Voldemort. Think about the diary of Tom Riddle." Hermione hissed. Tonks understood the message loud and clear.

"You have my word as an Auror, a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and I _hope_ as a friend, that I will keep your secrets close, for all our sakes."

"Thank you, Tonks, you have no idea how much of a relief it is to have one more person on our side now Dumbledore is gone. Harry will go spare if he finds out, but I'm so worried about him..." Hermione sniffed.

Tonks nodded, compassion filling her eyes as she put an arm around Hermione. "Is there anything else I can do? Help you lot have a night off over Christmas? Molly said you weren't coming to the Burrow this year."

"We just can't... you'll understand soon, but I think a night out would do Harry good. Bring Professor..."

"Remus." Tonks corrected her with a grin, hitting the bushy-haired Gryffindor in the arm to prove her point.

"Fine, _Remus_ – that's so wrong, you know – too, because I think Harry would like to see him."

"No problem, Hermione, and he'd like to see you all again. It's been a long time since Bill and Fleur's wedding, and he misses Harry – not that he'll ever admit it, course. Don't tell him I told you that." Tonks said, scrunching her face up to try and change her hair colour from the sickly green. It changed to a very short, punky look in black. "Better?"

"Much." Hermione assured Tonks, who looked very relieved. "So, when do you want to go out?"

"How about the Saturday before Christmas? That'll be the 20th? That's about three weeks away."

"Perfect. Owl me to confirm it the next time Professor..."

"Remus!"

"...Sends a letter." Hermione finished meekly. "That's very hard to do, call him Remus. It's not right!"

Tonks just laughed, patting her on the arm. "You'll get it one day. Now, Miss Head Girl, lead me to McGonagall! I've got a meeting to get to, and you've got work to do."

_And someone to write to_ Hermione's treacherous mind added in silently as she led Tonks to the office of the Headmistress. Maybe she could more comfortably call Professor Lupin by his given name if she knew the boy that was their age a little better, rather than the married, quiet man he had become.

.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**


	2. Throwing Caution to the Wind

**Blah blah blah, not mine, all JKR's.**

**Read and Review, and all that malarky. Hope the changes in time aren't TOO confusing. I do try to make it obvious. Thank you for all the great reviews for the last chapter! I'm currently trying to write an essay on Stravinsky (fun...) so this is a pleasant distraction! **

**Thank you for the wonderful reviews, it's really encouraging that people are enjoying my writing. I urge you, please review if you're reading, so I know you're there. The first chapter got 95 hits before I came to post this, so please, even if you hate it, TELL ME! More importantly, tell me why you love/hate it.**

**Enjoy! **

**MM**

**.  
**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
**

Remus had taken to watching the diary, night after night, waiting for her to come back again. It seemed that he'd revealed something to her that meant she might have discovered who he was, because she never came back. Two weeks waiting, watching, wondering. He was about to give up hope completely, and went back to using the book as a diary, until she decided to open up the connections between the two books again.

_John...I'm so sorry I've been so long away, I've had things to sort out, friends' homework to do, and the like. Christmas holidays soon though – something that is much appreciated. How are you?_

Remus let out a heavy sigh of relief. She hadn't figured him out after all, but had just been busy. He shouldn't have been so surprised, he thought, she was Head Girl, after all; and due to James' constant whining, he knew just how much work that was.

_I'm fine, Jean, I'm looking forward to the holidays too; only two more weeks! How are you? I thought I'd scared you off for a little while, it's been nearly a fortnight._

_Yes, well, I think I might know you, in this time. I was debating the ethics and dangerous possibilities of talking to someone when their future self is in fact still alive._

"Bugger!" Remus swore, putting his hands over his face. "Shit, shit, shit!" He rolled off his stomach and walked around his room, hands running through his hands in an agitated manner. They were in a dangerous position, one that could do his future self some serious damage – changing memories, things that hadn't previously happened. Sitting down again, he picked up his quill.

_Are you sure you know me?_ He hoped and hoped that she really didn't.

_I need to make sure. Currently, you're one of a few different people, and I have a few questions to ask... some of them are quite personal._

_Go on. There's nothing at all special about me._

Hermione swallowed hard. Which should she ask first? She should confirm that he was a Marauder, first and foremost.

_Does the phrase 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good' mean anything to you?_

_Context?_

_The Marauders Map._

"Bloody Merlin..." Remus gaped at the page. So she really did know them. There was no point lying to her, because she clearly had a good idea about who she was talking to already.

_Yes, I'm one of them. Next question._

Hermione's hand shook as she wrote out the next statement. If he answered anything in the negative, it was going to be Remus – his friends would have been Animagi for a long time to help him.

_Are you an animagus? _

_Not in the strictest sense._

Remus laughed dryly at his own answer, but then realised that if she knew him well enough to know the password to the map, and that his friends were Animagi, than she probably knew his own secret.

_Remus John Lupin, nicknamed 'Moony', one of the four Marauders (Sirius, James and Peter being the other three), Prefect, Werewolf._

Hermione began to cry as she wrote out who he was – it was a depressing thought that she now had to cut of all contact with him, because it just wasn't safe for them to be speaking. She would be hurting him physically and mentally by changing even these small things.

Remus' heart was thudding heavily in his chest as he saw each letter spelling out his identity So this girl knew him well, in the future – maybe she was the daughter of a friend, or even his own daughter.

_I'm not your father, am I?_

Hermione laughed through her tears at that response, but decided not to inform him that he really was about to become a father.

_No, not at all. Though I'm a....friend with the son of one of your friends, who I can't name for very obvious reasons. _

_We should stop this now, Jean. I'm going to be hurting myself and endangering time._

_I know. Well, Remus, it was wonderful to talk to the younger you. I suppose I should go, really._

_Yeah._

Remus waited a few minutes, saddened by the fact that he was going to lose his link to the future, and did something that he knew he might regret for the rest of his life.

_Don't go._

He watched for her reply, and he was about to close the book when he saw a timid, slowly written reply

_I don't think I can._

It was selfish, Hermione realised, and it was against all the rules and everything she had been so carefully taught about time travel. She would be risking the future of the world should she let something slip, and there was no possible reason for her to want to talk to the younger version of her ex-professor.

_I don't want you to hate me, Remus, because the truth is that you know me in the future, very well I suppose... and I don't want to hurt you. Speaking of hurt, you'll have a full moon coming up, wont you? Get some rest, eat plenty of chocolate, drink lots of water. I don't suppose muggle or wizarding painkillers will help._

Remus was lost for words – she cared about him, _truly_ cared about him now and apparently in the future. He would take her advice and go for the chocolate and water – to see if it made any difference.

_Are you actually real, Jean? _

_If I'm not, you should be really worried about the fact that you are apparently talking to yourself._

Hermione knew she had to keep her identity a secret. She couldn't tell him her name, or anything else that could lead the future Remus to knowing that he was talking to his student. She wanted to get to know him, see what he was like before death affected him too badly. She just hoped she hadn't given too much away already.

_Well then, I sincerely hope you are, otherwise I'll have to get the other three to drag me to St. Mungo's for treatment._

_Don't worry, Remus, I'm real. Bookishness and all. _

_I think we should toast to that bookishness – I've got a pig of a charms essay that I've got an early extension on because of the full moon. How appropriate that it's on time travel, don't you think?_

_We haven't been set that essay yet, but it should be interesting. Christmas holidays in two weeks!_

_Merlin should be thanked, praised, hugged, and given an honorary pranking. _

_Honestly, you're as bad as a pair of twins I know. _

_I am a Marauder, you know. It comes with the title._

_.  
_

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Remus in the present time had a few more memories of conversations – the one standing out the most was that she knew him, well enough to know he was a werewolf, and yet he couldn't think of a Jean in his acquaintance that went to Hogwarts – she must have been one of his students, of course, but he wasn't one to forget his pupils.

"Hello, love." He greeted his wife as she tripped over her feet coming out of the fireplace, and he held out his arms to catch her. "Going for a punk look this time?" He teased, earning a playful glare from Tonks. "Come on, Dora, the meeting starts soon."

"Just a few minutes?" She murmured, and he kissed her sweetly on the lips. "Love you, Remy."

"Love you too, Dora." He grinned, letting his hand drift to her stomach. "I can't believe all of this, and you're carrying my daughter."

"Well, you'd better believe it. What makes you so sure it's a girl? I think it's a boy!"

"Daddy intuition." He told her with a smile and sat down on the worn settee, pulling Tonks to sit next to him.

"What about Mummy intuition?" Tonks pulled an irritated face, poking Remus in the shoulder.

"Myth." He waved a hand, dismissing the thought. "Daddies know best."

"Behind every good man is a better woman, Remy, and don't you forget it."

"I don't think I could." He told her truthfully, running his fingers through her short black spikes. "I do like this look. Much better than boring brown." He indicated to his own head with a smirk.

"Can't promise it's going to stay, like." She shrugged. "Trouble here keeps changing it. You should have seen the shade it was when I met up with Hermione...OH! We're taking Harry out for a drink or ten the Saturday before Christmas. She's in agreement that we need to get him blathered."

Remus raised his eyebrows and let out a bark of a laugh. "Are we talking about the same Hermione, Dora?"

"Oh yes!" she looked positively evil. "And it isn't just Harry we're going to be getting drunk."

"You are a wicked, wicked woman, Nymphadora Lupin."

"Don't. Call me. Nymphadora!" She screeched, hitting him firmly over the head.

"Sorry, sorry." He did not sound at all apologetic.

"Tonks, was that your dulcet tones we heard?" Fred and George apparated into the living room, making the two on the settee jump. Remus was still rubbing his head and glaring half-heartedly at his wife. "Professor." They said together, respectfully.

"Oh, honestly, you're as bad as Hermione." Tonks said with a grin, hopping off the settee to hug the twin boys. "Come on, we've got a meeting to get to."

"The highlight of our week!" Fred said dramatically, placing his hand over his heart. "I mean, it's not like we don't have a shop to run, or anything."

"Not like there's a dark wizard to defeat, or anything." Tonks retorted smartly, hitting Fred on the nose with the handle of her wand, only for sparks to fly out of the end that set her robes on fire. Panicking, she hit at her robes, trying to put out the flames, but completely failed until her husband, with an amused glance up from the book he hand picked up off the settee, shot an _aguamenti_ charm at her , dousing the flames and soaking her through, and returned to his book. The twins just roared with laughter as she stood in the middle of the room, dripping wet through.

"Thanks, Remy."

"Not a problem, Nymphadora."

"Remus Lupin, you are going to pay!" She screeched, and stormed into the kitchen, a dripping trail following her.

"She's so easy to irritate, isn't she?" George mused, still grinning.

"She's pregnant, what on earth do you expect?"

"That, Professor, is a very good point." He agreed. "I will never get a woman pregnant, as long as I live."

"You say that now – see how you feel in a few years, dear." Molly Weasley bustled in, ushering everyone into the kitchen.

"Well, mum, we know _you_ love kids..."

"...but that doesn't mean the rest of us do."

"Fine, but the meeting is for now, babies are for much, much later."

The meeting was laborious. They were trying to hunt down the Death Eaters, finding patterns to discover if Voldemort had any particular hiding places that he frequented; but so far there was nothing that stood out. There were questions about what Harry's role was, as always, and Tonks look worriedly at Remus before mouthing that they needed to talk privately and he nodded. The meeting drew to a close as Moody confirmed that no-one knew what Harry was doing, and that if anything was known it should be reported.

"Come on, let's get home." He whispered to her, and she nodded seriously. Saying their goodbyes, they flooed home for a quiet evening meal.

"So, what did you need to talk about?" Remus asked as he pulled a casserole out of the small oven

"Something you cannot tell anyone else, especially those involved, because it is possibly the most dangerous thing going on in this war, and we can't actively do a damn thing about it." Tonks replied as she set the table for two, lighting a few candles with a flick of her wand.

"Is Harry in danger?"

Tonks looked at him as if he had grown two heads. "When's Harry _not_ in danger? No, we're in more danger knowing about this, if Hermione's hints are right. It's meant to be a secret between those three and Dumbledore, but there are some clanging hints that Hermione's been dropping, and when I include the things she's been asking me to find..."

Remus frowned. "You shouldn't be doing anything of the sort, especially if it's dangerous."

"Remus, now isn't the time to get protective over me." she snapped, and cast a few charms around the house, especially around the dining room/living room where they were sat to ensure they wouldn't be overheard.

"I'm not sorry, Dora, I will not lose you and our baby."

"Remus." She warned. "Not now. Hermione's asked me to try and find items of the founders of Hogwarts – especially those of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. She said that they need them for their mission, and they will probably be completely destroyed; doesn't that strike you as odd?"

"A little, but why can't we tell anyone this?"

"Because it's what these items are used for. She said to me, and I quote, 'Remember: very dark magic and important magical objects linked to Voldemort. Think about the diary of Tom Riddle' and also, 'the darker the object seems, the more likely it is to be the one we're after.'" She looked at Remus intently. "Come on, you studied in the Auror department, and taught Defence Against the Dark Arts. I put it together in minutes during the meeting, when I actually had time to figure it out"

Remus sat and thought over what she said for a while. "Talk me through what you thought." He said finally, not quite connecting all three.

"Okay, start with the diary. What did it do?"

"It let Voldemort try to kill Ginny Weasley."

"How?"

"By possessing her – as if she .... as if she were... him." He stopped, the minute he understood the path. "A part of himself, embedded into an object of importance to him. That's inhuman."

"There's more than one, too, Remy. The diary was one, Hufflepuff's cup probably is – I gave it to Hermione today, and I imagine it's gone by now."

"Horcruxes. Why did we not even consider it?" He stood, pacing around the room with one hand in his hair, the other held out in front of him. "He's a monster, now more than ever."

"They're after them; Harry, Ron and Hermione are hunting them down. I think they've had successes so far, because Hermione didn't ask me to find any heirloom of Slytherin and she said anything of Gryffindor's was very unlikely to be found because Gryffindor's sword only shows itself to a true Gryffindor. So that's three that are gone, so far. Something of Ravenclaw's would take it to four... and who knows how many more he's made?"

Remus felt a sharp pain in his head again, like he had earlier that day, and sat down into an armchair with a moan of pain.

"Remus, are you okay? Remus!" She knelt in front of him.

"I'm okay, Dora, but I've got a bit of a problem – someone's found my old diary from when I was back in 7th year at Hogwarts. They wrote in it, and it appeared to my teenage self, and my stupid teenage self wrote back. It's starting to change things."

"Bugger... that's really bad, Remy. Your young self is a bloody idiot, no offence meant."

"I know, believe me. I just hope I don't do anything worse... but knowing the me that was with the Marauders, I most definitely will."

.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

They had only one week of term time left, and the Christmas holidays would be upon them; not that it would bring much in the way of rest or peace and quiet. It never did.

"Moony, mate, you need to get out more! Its like we never see you any more!" James joked, and Remus rolled his eye, tearing them away from the diary for a moment. "You'll become a lazy bugger like old Padfoot over there, and we all know that's a bad, bad thing to happen."

"Wha? Hu'z callin me?" A muffled voice echoed from behind the curtains, and Sirius's head emerged, looking for all the world like he had just been dragged through a bush backwards.

"I said," James began very slowly, making sure he kept Sirius' attention "You'll become a lazy bugger like old Padfoot over there, and we all know that's a bad, bad thing to happen." This only earned him a glare and then a quick hex that forced James to walk around backwards, cross-eyed, for over an hour... until Lily came down on her way to breakfast.

"Sirius Black! God help you if you do not take that charm off this very second!"

"Nah, I think I'll leave it on if that's ok with everyone." Sirius laughed, leaning against the common room wall. As they continued to watch James even Lily found it funny, and it was only after James begged for the spell to be removed did she threaten the Gryffindor points lead if Sirius didn't take it off. He didn't mind much, he'd got the revenge he wanted.

Remus grinned as he watched the spectacle, occasionally looking up from his textbook. Talking to Jean last night, he'd forgotten the chapter he was supposed to read, and thought it might be a good idea to catch up before his lesson.

.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Oh, Jean, I don't know what to say. How are you coping?_

_I'm not exactly sure, but I've got to. We're one step closer to destroying him... of course, this would all be easier if Dumbledore had known about this weapon of his in the first war. _

_If there was a way, it would be more than useful. However, short of you telling me everything so I can go to Dumbledore, there's nothing to be done. _

_You know, if it wasn't going to affect everything so badly, I would suggest you do just that._

_I'd like my future self to stay sane, thank you very much._

_That's debatable anyway. Would you like to know something – a bit about you in the future?_

_Will I hate you for it?_

_I hope not. But you're married to a clumsy, hyperactive, easily distracted, metamorphmagus Auror who likes her hair bubblegum pink._

Remus laughed as he wrote out his reply.

_Really? You're having a laugh! _

_I'm not, and you've not been married long! Around July time, I think. _

_Bloody hell, I'm an old codger before I get married? How dull. _

_You have your reasons – one of them being your furry little problem. Don't Sirius and James call it that? I remember you telling me at some point. _

_They do... you really know me far too well, Jean._

Hermione was feeling beyond guilty. She should tell him who she was, but for her own protection, and for his, she couldn't. It was quite selfish too, but she wanted to keep talking to him – in an even bigger fit of selfishness, she considered the thought _"Tonks be damned". _She wasn't going to change anything important by just talking to someone she already knew, and it wasn't as if she was really romantically interested in him.

True, she'd had a schoolgirl crush on her teacher – part of that crush was for his mind, as well as his outward appearance, and his undeniable strength once she had figured out that he was a werewolf. She had long since got over that fancy, and her attentions had turned to Ron, but there had always been the fact that she worried over Remus privately. He had been trying to convince them to let him help with whatever they were doing, but Harry refused point-blank to tell him because he believed quite firmly that Remus should look after Tonks, but Hermione didn't agree. They needed more people on their side if they wanted to destroy the horcruxes, once and for all.

Picking the diary and her school things up from the table in the common room, she ran up the stairs to her dormitory, pushing the heavy bag under her bed as she flopped onto the mattress and began to write.

_I do know you quite well, but it's always been so professional. You were a professor at Hogwarts for a year, and I have never been able to call you anything but Professor or Professor Lupin without getting entirely too embarrassed._

_I'm not embarrassing, Jean! _

_No, but for two years I quite fancied you, though of course it was just a silly schoolgirl crush. I was thirteen and fourteen at the time!_

_You did? Knowing what I was...the monster?_

_Oh, I encountered the wolf, but you were no monster. Quite scary, but Sirius saved our lives – me and my two friends – he did that quite often, really._

_You said 'did'. Why are you talking in the past tense? _

Hermione forgot to breathe, and when she did the oxygen burned her lungs and made her head spin. Inadvertently, she had told him that Sirius was no longer a factor in their lives; that he had died.

_Jean? Jean, are you there? Talk to me!_

_I can't, Remus... Oh, I knew this was a bad idea, I'm being so selfish! I should just give this diary back to you._

_NO! Please, Jean! How are you being selfish if talking to you is something I want to do, too?_

_Because I'm hurting you, and your wife, probably!_

_I don't give a damn about my 'wife', because currently she isn't a part of my life. To you I'm the past, but this is the very real present for me. I know the risks just as well as you do._

_But..._

_No buts, Jean. If you want, I'll tell myself very firmly now that I am not to kick you up the arse for talking to me, and hope very pointedly that it changes me in the future. By the way, what's your real name?_

_Until I know that you aren't going to go spare on me, I can't tell you that. But Jean really is my middle name._

_Great minds think alike, I see. _

_I wouldn't exactly call myself a great mind, Remus. _

_How come you can call me Remus to a diary, but not to my face?_

_Probably because I can't see you – I think that if I was to see you, I wouldn't be able to do it, and I'd automatically start to call you Professor again. _

Remus laughed out loud, he couldn't help it. What an odd girl she was, although he quite liked the idea of becoming a professor; until Sirius bounded onto his bed with a grin, taking the book out of his hands.

"Hey, Padfoot, give me that back." He tried to play it cool at first, but as Sirius flipped through it, eyes wide with amusement, and Remus held out his hand expectantly. "Come on, I'm not kidding. I'll take points if you don't give it back."

"Oh, no, no, I want to know what's making you laugh! Remus, old boy, this is priceless!" He continued to read, and quickly he sat down on Remus' bed next to him, breathing hard. When he finished reading everything that was in the diary, he looked angry.

"Moony, what the _hell_ are you doing? Why aren't you with Dumbledore giving him all this information?"

"I _can't_, Sirius! Can you imagine the disaster it would create for our future selves... for _her?_" he indicated to the diary and quickly scribbled an apology. Her gentle reminder that he didn't have to make life hard for himself made him smile.

"Stop looking all pathetic and lovey for a moment Moony, and come back to the world of the logical. She knows how to defeat Voldemort!"

"That's what she's doing! And I do _not_ look lovey!"

"Whatever, Moony, but I don't think what you're doing is right. I know you think you're smart, but if you were really that smart, you'd find a way to get her here, and we could help her get him so he doesn't come back a second time."

"I can't ask that of her, Paddy, and I can't do that to the future us."

"What would we know? We wouldn't know any different in the end, would we?"

He had a point, damn him. "Not now, Sirius. I need to do some homework."

"Forget your bloody homework for a second, Remus, would you? There are more important things... like, oh, I don't know, talking to a girl from 20 years into the future?" Sirius stated angrily, pushing strands of hair behind his ear forcefully.

"No, Sirius, I can't say anything."

"Fine." Sirius grabbed the small red diary from Remus and stood. "If you won't, I will. It's not often we disagree, Moony, but on this we do. I'm not sorry."

His black look made Remus pause just long enough for him to escape the room and leap down the stairs and into the common room. He had just made the door and pulled it open when he was spun around by Remus, who was livid. In that moment, Sirius truly feared for his life – the boy's eyes were not his own, but that of his werewolf counterpart; and it was those eyes that were the last thing he saw before blackness swallowed him, a searing pain in his head and excruciating throbbing engulfing his whole face.

Sirius Black had stepped over the line with his friend, for the second time in his life. He vowed, there and then, that he would never do it again, before he hit the floor with a thud.

.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Mr Lupin, this is a very serious offence. A fight in public! This is most disappointing, especially from a prefect and an upstanding student like yourself. One hundred points from Gryffindor, I am excluding you for three days," McGonagall held up three fingers, her lips thin as she observed him, "And I have written a letter to your parents. You are lucky I have not taken your badge."

Remus nodded, his head hung low. He wasn't sorry; he just wanted to look like he was. The knock-out curse along with the solid punch would keep Sirius unconscious for most of the time he was away, and so it would give Sirius a fair warning when he revived.

"Your belongings will remain in school, and I expect you outside my office at 7am the day you return." McGonagall said, lowering her voice. "I am very disappointed in you, Remus." She looked at him slowly, eyes narrowing before her face softened a little. "Why, boy? Why did you risk your place in this school?"

"He took something very personal that belonged to me, with my secret in in, and I couldn't let him go with it. There were things in that diary that I would consider dangerous, and anyone could have taken it and revealed my condition. It was theft, Professor, and a risk to the safety of everyone at Hogwarts" He mumbled.

"That may be and he will be dealt with in due course, but you should not have picked a fight, Remus, you know that. Go and get the things you will need at home, and I will call for you when your parents arrive."

Remus nodded, brushing his hair out of his face, and he left to go find his friends.

"Prat. Complete and utter prat..." he continued to mumble as he sat in his dormitory, packing a small bad. He looked up as the pages of his diary started glowing faintly in the pattern of someone writing and pausing- it did it whenever _she_ wrote. He almost smiled, and opened it up to see Jean's neat writing forming on the soft parchment of the diary.

_Remus? Remus, are you there? It seems a while since we've spoken, and I was wondering how you were. I've started on that essay now; rather interesting, don't you think? All the possibilities of time travel..._

Remus wondered if she was trying to say something, or whether she was simply chattering about school like she often did.

_I'm fine; sorry, I'm just packing a few things._

_Why are you packing? Christmas isn't here yet!_

_Ah... I might have become a little bit excluded_

Hermione's jaw hit the floor. Remus had never mentioned anything about being excluded when he talked about his times at Hogwarts, and with a groan she considered the idea that it was something to do with her. It was more than likely, in fact.

_Remus Lupin, Merlin's pants! How did you manage to do that?_

_Saving my own hide, and by laying one on Sirius, magically and physically._

_If I could slap you, I would. He's your friend, Remus! That's low._

_What he did was low, too, Jean. He was trying to take this diary to Dumbledore._

_Oh..._

Hermione wasn't quite sure what to say to that one. He'd saved both of their skins, really, and she was thankful for that, but he'd still hit his friend and hurt him to a degree she knew not, but it was bad enough to get him excluded. This Remus was very different to the calm, cool Professor Lupin she knew now.

_Jean, look. What else could I do?_

_Not hit him, for one thing. Talked to him?_

_I tried, believe me. He nicked off with it anyway, and I wasn't going to just let him..._

_You're right, I know, but I'm not one for violence unless it is completely necessary. Only once have ?I punched someone and that was in my 3rd year... but so help me Merlin, that boy deserved it._

_Go, Jean!_

_You were teaching me that year, too. I can't remember what on earth you said about it..._

_I probably agreed._

_You probably did._

They continued to talk, the difficult moment forgotten for the moment. Hermione was surprised at the ease between them, something she had never found with the future Professor – he was always so much older and that commanded respect from Hermione, not friendship. This was different – it was exciting and dangerous and completely different from Harry and Ron and Ginny, the only ones she considered to call real friends.

_Remus, what is going on with this? Why are we still writing? _

Good question, Jean, Remus thought as he laid back on his bed, considering. Were they cautious friends, or just acquaintances that spanned twenty years? Would they ever meet on the same level of knowing each other? There was only one way that could be done, and it wasn't something Remus was willing to risk. The future of the wizarding world was too important.

"Unless she could change things here first..." Remus said out loud to the empty room. She could do that, couldn't she?

.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	3. When Time Begins to Twist

**Hallo Hallo!**

**I apologise in advance of my butchering of latin – my mum desperately tried to help me when I was writing this but she doubted her grammar/phrasing and even some of the words were right. I just happily took what she gave me. **

**Also, this is two days early in my update schedule, this is because on Sunday I'm going to my cousin's christening and then spending the day with my family – it's been a month since I've seen them! Argh! So, therefore, I will not see a computer all of Sunday until I sit down to do last minute edits on my Film Music coursework. Happy days! Next update will be back on track next Sunday.**

**In other news, thank you for the ace reviews! Happy times indeed :) This chapter is a little shorter than my others I think – sorry about that, I just liked where this one ended. Yes, everything is moving quickly – Or it seems to be. Two and a bit weeks have actually passed since the beginning of the first chapter, but my writing is a bit quicker because this isn't meant to be a really long story in terms of chapters – maybe 15, 20 at most – I hope it isn't too fast for you all.**

**Much love, and I hope you're all enjoying.  
MM**

**.  
**

**

* * *

  
**

"Exertus Statua!"

Hermione looked at the page, and sighed as her image faded after a few moments. She was intrigued to see how the young Remus Lupin looked, and had taken time to search for the spell used in wizarding cameras. The only one she found wasn't exactly the same, but would present the picture onto the page and have it follow her movements to the second. It was close enough, but very difficult to perform – the wand movement had to be exact; five quick spikes in exactly the right place in a fluid movement, like a flash, and without a flourish at the end. She was getting closer but still had not managed to perfect the charm.

Remus was having only a little more luck. The image was permanently inked on the page, but not in colour – only black and white. It wasn't bad – he thought he looked particularly fetching in grey – but he wanted to get the colour right.

_I hate this charm._

The frustrated words appeared on the page and Remus laughed, still practising in his room at home, the heavy full stop almost denting the page. Whilst he was planning a quick reply he said the charm again, and whooped as it worked properly. Not wanting to lose the lucky streak he quickly performed the charm on the diary, watching as his image spread onto the parchment.

_Can you see it?_

_I..._

Hermione stared at the page as a small-ish, 10cm by 10cm image of Remus Lupin- mopish sandy brown hair in his eyes as he looked down at the diary, a mischievous smile lingering on his lips as his hand moved quickly across the page.

_How's that crush doing?_

_I really do not like you, Remus Lupin._

_Liar, liar, pants on fire._

Remus grinned, laid back on his bed and looked straight forward, as if she was talking directly to him. He was a little wary of the scars that would be visible on his arms and the one or two on his face, but he assumed that he had far more as an older man.

_Yes, yes, very nice, now stop posing. I can't be doing with this distraction whilst I try to learn this charm!_

Bless her, she was so dedicated to learning. Remus smiled and sat back still, his arms behind his head – how more could he distract her? He eyed his t-shirt thoughtfully and was about to tug it up, when a knock at the door stopped him.

"Remus, please, come out." His mother's sigh came through the door as the handle rattled. He scowled – his mother was not the person he wished to speak to at this moment in time, or at any time this weekend. She was _disappointed_ – not a word he enjoyed hearing.

"Not today, mum."

"I was only coming to tell you that dinner is ready." Her voice was low and calm through the wood – she was used to his bad moods and swings around the full moon, after all. "Remus, love, you need to eat. I'm not angry at you – I'd much rather you tell me _why_..."

"No, mum." Remus closed the diary with a snap and went to the door, sitting with his back to it. "You're disappointed, and that's worse than angry."

His mother laughed on the other side of the door. "Of course it is, that's how us mums keep our kiddies in control. We guilt trip them until they lock themselves in their room, and then come to apologise. Control has been reinstated."

Remus smiled, and reached up with one hand to unlock the door – the latch letting off a quiet click as it released. He slid forward as the door opened and his mum crawled in. She was young, double his age exactly in March after having him at 18, and her young mentality had never let up throughout motherhood, even after his father had died.

Sat cross-legged on the floor; the two were a mirror image of each other, Hermione noticed as she watched his picture moving silently, talking with his mother. She was young, much younger than Hermione had ever imagined her to be, and she couldn't have been much older than what, thirty-five? Remus was the real heart-stopper of the pair – his features more masculine but not thick and square like some men tended to be, he was lithe and had legs that stretched out beyond the picture. Handsome was not enough to describe him, and Hermione blushed bright pink, closing the book. She wouldn't bring this old fancy back, it was a very bad idea...

Ten minutes later, the edges of the diary glowed a faint silver, and she opened it again with a slight hesitation. Remus was laid on his bed, alone, and very shirtless. Her blush escalated and moved from her face down her neck, and she bit her lip as he moved around, almost crying.

_I'm back..._

Remus smirked and rolled onto his back, the diary above him showing him at a particularly provocative angle, before he rolled back and continued to write.

_Did I mention that I really, really don't like you, Remus John Lupin?_

_Learn the spell, Jean._

_Oh, be quiet._

_._

_

* * *

  
_

"_'Time: The Interwoven Mysteries Unwound'"_ Hermione read to herself as she sat down at a table in the library. She was fighting to get this essay finished on time, Remus thoroughly distracting her and asking her if she had perfected the charm yet.

Hermione scoffed. Of course she'd worked out the charm – she'd gotten it only minutes after he did, but she was playing it safe. The minute Remus saw her picture, Professor Lupin would know who was writing in his diary and it would be taken away. No, Hermione was on a mission now, something she was quietly discussing with Harry and Ron as a very plausible plan in the quiet of the library. This charms essay was just the means to an end, for now, because it was on the mysteries of Time and of Time Travel. That was why it had to be finished, so they knew what they were going to do

The book was very explicit. Hermione could go back, but never forward. Time in the future didn't exist, and there was no way to change that – she would be sent into blackness. The minute she went back, the future would cease to exist as she knew it, and so she could never return with the memories she had. It would destroy her. It was that simple.

Could she do it? Leave her parents, leave Ginny and the rest of the Weasleys, save her Ron (who wasn't really _her_ Ron, but she hoped one day he would be) and Harry, her best friends? What else was there here in this time but death and destruction?

"Of course, we'd have to destroy the Horcruxes again, but that would be loads easier, because we know where most of them are. Nagini wouldn't have been made yet – remember?" Hermione said quietly.

"Well, if we were to go back, then we'd have Sirius on our side, wouldn't we? Someone to get into the Black family vault and into Grimmauld Place, and I reckon he'd do it for the adventure. The diary though, that'd be the hard one..." Ron said with a frown, leaning back in his chair.

"No, not necessarily – if we have one, the other will become void because we've technically got the real one. We can take it back with us!"

"Yeah! It's in McGonagall's office, I've seen it. Next time one of us goes up for Head business, we can just nick it and we'll be sorted..." Harry whispered back.

"So that's the locket, diary, the cup... oh Merlin, how are we going to get the ring?" Hermione began to panic, wondering just how they were going to do that one. "And we still don't know where the last one is yet!"

"Dumbledore – we have to tell him as soon as we get there to search it out. That could take ages though, so we've got time to find whatever it is that belongs to Ravenclaw, and so then we're sorted because Nagini isn't a Horcrux..."

"I think I know what it is, I asked Luna about it the other day." Hermione looked thoughtful. "Ravenclaw's Diadem – meant to impart extra knowledge onto the wearer."

"Yeah, I can see why Voldemort would want that, he's not exactly the sharpest wand in the shop is he..." Ron said, grinning.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded. "We're talking about an evil dark wizard, not Draco Malfoy! He was Head Boy, so he's already got to be clever."

"Yeah, but Harry's Head Boy, and look at him..."

"Enough!" Harry said, loud enough for the two to stop bickering. "So, I think it's time to talk properly about this. I have nothing but Ginny to lose going back, and when I'm born again she'll have me anyway, if she wants me, so that's fine..."

"Oi, that's my sister you're talking about!"

"Ronald, please." Hermione was exasperated, and the boy quietened. "I could survive, my parents don't technically know I exist after I charmed them and sent them off to Australia...It's you who's giving everything up, Ron. Are you coming, or staying?"

Ron was quiet for a few minutes, before he looked up, blue eyes shining. "You really think I'd leave you both? Are you mad?"

With a grin, Hermione flung herself at Ron and hugged him, burying her head in his neck. With a frown, she realised something. She wasn't getting the usual tingles, the butterflies, the heated cheeks that came with hugging Ron – she didn't even feel warm at his homely, earthly smell. She shook her head, passing it off as nerves and sat back, reviewing the book again.

"So... It's not difficult. It's, well, surprisingly easy." Hermione looked at the book again, making sure she had it right. "Now Harry, please don't set off now, because I couldn't say anything about it in case I came across something like this and we decided to do it..."

"You've still got your time-turner." His voice was flat, but his green eyes flashed as Hermione nodded mutely. "Well, we're going back anyway, so it doesn't matter now, does it?"

"Thank Merlin..." Hermione sighed, but then began to fidget again. "Well, there's something else, too. Ron, I'll show you first, and then you Harry because I honestly think you're going to... well, I'd rather not say. Come on, Ron." With a sharp tug, she pulled Ron up and led him to a secluded corner of the library and took the little red diary out of her robes.

"Hermione..." Ron looked at the book with clear fear in his eyes. "Please tell me that's not..."

"Shh." She held a finger to his lips, and flipped the diary open. There was Remus, sat by the fire, writing an essay.

_Remus!_

She wrote the note quickly, and Ron simply stared, mouth agape, as Remus wrote back, smiling brightly and inclining his head as a greeting.

_Jean! Are you all right?_

"Jean?" Ron said, amused but still in serious shock. "Why haven't you told him your real name?"

"Because this is Remus in the past, and it's changing Professor Lupin's memories. If he knew it was me he'd take the diary off me straight away, and he's currently my link to the past, which set me onto the idea..." She picked up her quill again and began to write.

_Fine – but I need to ask you something. You know how I said I was doing something dangerous to defeat Voldemort? Well, I've found a completely conclusive way of topping him off for good._

_Oh?_

_Yes, and we're going to need your help. We're coming back._

_.  
_

* * *

  
It was two more days until Ron and Hermione told Harry about the diary, because she needed Remus to be back at Hogwarts for the conversation to take place, and to inform Dumbledore that they were coming. He was on her side completely, and he was waiting for her, his amber-brown eyes shining at the thought of such a mission and adventure.

Harry stared at the diary in disbelief. "No way. No way. Hermione, when did you find this?"

"A few weeks ago, in the library. Now, Harry, please don't be mad but I was ensuring that it wasn't another Horcrux and it isn't, I promise..."

"So you mean to tell me that you've been talking to Remus for the past two weeks without telling us anything?" He was getting angry, Hermione could see it, and she bit her lip as she winced.

"Well, yes, but part of that was because it will be changing Professor Lupin's memories, and I didn't want to risk that connection because I was beginning to think of the possibility of going back – and for that, I need Remus to help me plan it."

"How? How can he help?" Harry shouted, and Hermione raised her hands in defence.

"At this moment he is going to Professor Dumbledore with a letter in this diary that I have written about the Horcruxes, and asking permission for us to return to kill Voldemort properly."

The diary began to glow silver, and Hermione smiled absently, picking up the diary and flipping it open. She had been watching the conversation for a while, and was ready to see what the answer would be. She was surprised when she saw Remus stood with Professor Dumbledore, who was leaning over the diary.

_Jean, I presume? It is Professor Dumbledore speaking – or rather, writing. This is an interesting tale and I do not doubt it for a moment; but I wonder if you truly know what you are giving up – all three of you._

Hermione looked at Harry and Ron, who both nodded silently.

_We are, Professor. And the Ring?_

_I already have my ideas Miss...._

Hermione looked at the diary, and then at Harry and Ron again. "This is it, from this moment Professor Lupin will be after us, we won't have a choice but to go back. We're changing everything."

"We're not going back, Hermione. Go ahead. We'll go tonight, if we have to."

"We probably will." She warned, and the two paled but agreed.

_Granger. My real name is Hermione Jean Granger – my friends are Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, and from this moment Remus Lupin in the future is likely to be trying to get to us. I have a time turner, I know the spell, and we're ready when you are._

Ten minutes passed as Dumbledore paced his office, waving his wand and muttering things, whilst Remus sat and watched, confusion on his face as he asked questions that the headmaster did not answer.

_Splendid! And well planned – a week before Christmas. A wonderful time for you to settle in, and we are all prepared for your arrival – I shall just explain to Mr Lupin the full situation._

There was a long pause in between the two comments, nearly another full ten minutes, and Dumbledore's amused expression was mixed with a little worry. Remus looked rather angry

_Oh dear, Miss Granger, it seems you've quite upset Mr Lupin... oh, he's telling me he's not upset, but can't figure out how you're going to disguise James' son from him. That is indeed a good question, Mr Lupin...._

_.  
_

_

* * *

  
_

"Dora, what time are we going out for dinner? Are you nearly ready?" Remus called from his place on the small settee, legs dangling over the arm as he read one of the many books he had in his library on defensive reactions to hexes, curses and other dangerous spells .

"Nearly, I'm just trying to make my hair less...green." She laughed as she stood in the kitchen, looking in the mirror at the end of the room. Remus could just see her from where she stood, her bump becoming more and more pronounced each day, and he felt a faint swell of pride. At first, this baby and this life was not what he had wanted, and he had fought tooth and nail against it until Molly Weasley, of all people, persuaded him that even if he didn't love her as deeply as she did Arthur, he would at least be content. Much to his surprise, he _was_ content, and it was at moments like this he felt real stirrings in his heart for the younger witch.

Real stirrings... Remus felt a twinge in his head that he had quickly learnt to recognise as the pain experienced from changing memories. It was strange that the twinge was so faint, but there was something desperately important he needed to remember; something about Hermione...

Remus didn't realise anything was out of the ordinary with the changing memories until Dora screamed, her frame hunched over as she rested her hands on the counter. "Remus!" Her voice was sharp and filled with pain, but as he rushed to stand from the settee a long burning path ran from his forehead to his groin and he collapsed in a boneless heap on the floor.

He could hear his wife's moans still for a few more minutes until the house went deathly quiet. Outside no traffic could be heard, no birds chirping, no people talking. Remus' last coherent thought was a sudden memory, one he knew was newly developed. He remembered his diary, and Dumbledore's office, and the rush of elation that this girl from the future was coming to his own time, to save the world as best she could.

_Granger. My real name is Hermione Jean Granger – my friends are Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, and from this moment Remus Lupin in the future is after us. I have a time turner, I know the spell, and we're ready when you are._

Remus felt his head spinning and cursed at the girl he had often come to think of not just as the brightest witch of her age, but of many ages, including his own. His world continued to spin, and then a black curtain fell across his eyes and mind, sending him into an oblivion and a future that was uncertain. He didn't know what he would remember when he woke.

"Owl!" Ron shouted, as a large barn owl flew into the window of the Library. Ron let it in, and then opened the note. "Hermione, it's from Remus..."

"Oh no!" Hermione clasped a hand over her mouth, and Ron nodded.

"Blimey, that was quick...do you want me to read it out?"

"Yes, please." Hermione said as she began to scribble in the diary again, checking that her spell would indeed work with the headmaster.

"_Primarily to Hermione, but also to Ron and Harry who are no doubt reading over your shoulder,_

_I once called you the smartest witch of your age, and until the moment of writing this letter I believed it whole-heartedly. I would ask you not to risk this world, but I know there is little to risk. I would ask you to think everything through before you act, but I know you already will have. I would tell you, or beg you, to think of Ron and perhaps more importantly Harry – but I know that you will already have asked them, and told them to make their decisions on their own with full consideration of all the consequences._

_You are already changing my future, Hermione. Dora is no longer pregnant; though I thought she was she has no recollection of ever being with child– the confusion we both feel, the pain and sadness – I fear it is going to break up what comfort and contentment we have found.. I have different memories of Sirius, and memories added to by a Jean who I know now to be you. I beg you now – do it properly! We, the Marauders of Hogwarts, will help you in every way we can, I can promise you this. Dumbledore has, in my memory, already asked Sirius to go to his family vault and retrieve a small golden cup with a certain marking on it. He has in his possession a black diary belonging to Tom Riddle that he confiscated from Lucius Malfoy some years ago – I do not know how, nor does my younger self at any point. I don't think I thought to ask._

_I will make sure this world does not forget you and the sacrifice you are about to make, until there is nothing left to forget and a new future before us all._

_I do not pretend to think that this is the wisest choice, but I fear there is little I can do now to prevent your actions. I wish you luck, and for now that is all I may wish; I feel not the need for selfish moments._

_Try to save us all, even Peter,_

_Remus Lupin._

_P.s – Hermione...Please, do nothing rash. As a young man I had a great fear of the unknown, and of relationships with others; however, a small push in the right direction to happiness could help me become a more trusting grown man. You know of what I speak._

Ron looked incredulous, Harry confused, and Hermione simply sat in wonder and then blushed quite brightly. Was he giving her permission to seek out her old fancies? That was not the reaction she had been expecting. Shaking her head and waving off Ron's questions, she pulled the diary over to her and muttered the spell she had perfected days ago.

_Ah, Miss Granger, how wonderful that you have decided to join us in picture form. When will you be joining us in person?_

Hermione looked at the two boys, who made a gesture of 'up to you', and she nodded at the diary before pulling out a long chain from her pocket, letting the hourglass dangle as the light glinted off the sand.

_Whenever you want us. We're currently in the library, the back desk on the left hand side, near the restricted section._

_We shall meet you there momentarily. I look forward to meeting you._

_Again._ Hermione couldn't help but add, and the old wizard smiled before she shut the book, looking at the two boys.

"Ron, could you run to the common room and get the Basillisk fangs and Harry's cloak?" Hermione asked breathlessly. "Be as fast as humanly possible, Ron!"

"I will." He set off at a quick run, dashing out of the doors and out of sight. Hermione looked at Harry apprehensively, but he looked calmer than she had ever seen him.

"Harry?" she asked tentatively into the silence.

"I'm just thinking, Hermione." He replied, looking out of the window. "This is going to change everything."

"It is." she agreed, knowing what it meant. They were going to live without Voldemort, grow up as children without him.

"Will we live when we're born again, or will we die?"

"I don't know."

"That's not exactly comforting, Hermione."

Hermione smiled and watched as Ron returned, breathless, with a big backpack and hair everywhere. "Got everything!" She grabbed her own book bag, putting everything in it that she might need (including the Horcrux research) and stood, chin high.

"Good. Okay, this might be a little tight..." She threw the chain around Ron and Harry, and then squirmed into the middle of the two, making sure her skin touched the chain.

"Tempus portus 1977!" She pointed her wand at the hourglass, and then the spinning began.

.

* * *

Remus watched as a large blur began to appear, spinning slowly and then getting quicker and quicker at an alarming rate. In his bag he was carrying a small vial of a bitter drink he had created after an escapade to the Hog's Head ended up in a horrible hangover and he had used it for any states of confusion or other such things. He had a feeling these three would need it.

It was Harry who first caught his attention. It was astounding how much he looked like James – it was unnerving. Everything about him was James, down to the unruly hair and glasses... though those eyes were Lily's through and through. The thought was wiped away as soon as he saw Jean – no, Hermione.

It wasn't love at first sight, but most definitely there was lust. Her hair was a mane of dark brown curls, quite bushy and thick but luscious. Her eyes, when she could at last focus, were chocolatey and deep, filled with pride and happiness and shock and a hundred different emotions he couldn't quite place just yet. She was small, thin with no ample figure that the hormones in him could see, but breathtakingly beautiful to him.

She cringed away as the time turner shattered, and then collapsed on the floor, holding her head. Immediately Harry and Ron followed suit and Remus reached out for the girl, holding her up so she didn't hit the desk next to her. Taking out one of three glass bottles he offered her what his friends had dubbed his "wake-up water". It was really just tonic water, lemon, and a few other bitter ingredients that had the desired effect. He handed two to the boys who eyed the bottles a bit more suspiciously than Hermione was. She took it, drinking some, before gagging and promptly emptying the bottle over his head with a splash.

"Oi!" He cried. "That was for you, not me!"

"I'm not touching that stuff." Ron said firmly but groggily, leaning onto Harry for support, who in turn was leaning against a book shelf.

"Me either." Harry agreed, and then coughed.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, eyes twinkling in a way Hermione had missed sincerely since he had died. "On behalf of all the Staff and Governors, welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I do not think I need to ask your previous house, but humour me."

"Gryffindor." Hermione said immediately. "All three of us."

Harry and Ron nodded, eyes still unfocussed, and Dumbledore seemed to look towards Gryffindor tower, before smiling again. "Your rooms have been added. I suggest that we have a meeting of the Head Boy, Head Girl, and our three newest students. Did any of you hold positions?"

Hermione couldn't find the energy to answer and she slumped against Remus with a groan, who held her a little tighter; it was comforting and warm – very different to Ron's embraces. Like he wanted her to be there. That was nice... she gave a soft smile to Remus, who smiled back with eyes creasing at the corner. One of the boys answered for her, but she couldn't really tell what they were saying.

"I'm alive. I did it Remus...I..." and then Hermione Granger, for the first time in her life, fainted.

Remus held the girl to his chest as her friends stood carefully, shaking their heads to clear them. "Hermione?" James' son, Harry, looked at Hermione with evident concern, and Remus felt a stab of jealousy and held her closer, taking in the smell of her hair – it was faintly sweet.

"Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, I assure you, Miss Granger is in good hands with Mr Lupin. I must speak to the both of you now in great detail; you are rather conspicuous in the school, so we need to have a discussion about your alias identities. Mr Lupin, if you would take Miss Granger to the Gryffindor common room and watch over her?"

"Yes, professor." Remus lifted the girl up easily, and she stirred, her eyes open but unfocussed.

"You look like a wet dog." Her voice was slurred as she spoke, but he laughed none the less.

"Wet wolf." He corrected, nodding at Harry and Ron before taking the girl to safety. There was something about Harry that made Remus feel uneasy; he just wasn't quite sure what yet.

Reaching the common room, he quickly muttered the password and led her inside. The room was almost completely empty except a few timid first-years, and he laid her down carefully on a settee, her bag on the floor. Awkwardly Remus stood, and circled the common room, trying to think of what to do next.

She was a girl, and Remus wasn't used to girls apart from Lily; even then, a compliment or two in person would choke him up completely (though not always, he _was_ getting better). Jean...Hermione, Remus corrected himself mentally, had all out admitted that at one point in her life she'd fancied him – him! It was mental; who would want an old werewolf over someone young and whole? It didn't make sense to him, even at 17 years old.

"Moony!" James bounded down the stairs and flung himself at the werewolf with a grin. Remus stumbled but kept his balance, and after a moment pushed his friend back with a small sigh but a smile nonetheless. James was an arse, sometimes.

"Evening, Prongs." He greeted a little more sedately, and quietly, so he didn't disturb the sleeping witch. "I need you to come with me, and I need to talk to you. Life at Hogwarts is going to get a bit more mental..."

.

* * *


	4. The First Changes

**Hey all :) **

**Hope you've all had a good week – better than mine, at any rate. My parents are splitting up and to top it off, I just got a call saying my cat died.  
This is _not_ the type of weekend I had planned. Effing brilliant.**

**ANYWAY. Thank you for all the amazing reviews, I can't believe it's got so many already. Hope you enjoy, and please review :)**

**Much love, **

**MM**

**.**

**

* * *

  
**

Hermione stirred, hearing gentle voices a little distance away. She was too warm, she realised, and with a stiff push she raised herself up on her arms – she was very close to the fire. Just a few chairs away a small group sat together, heads close as they spoke, one or two faces looking dumbstruck, amused, or concerned – faces, she realised, she recognised quite vividly.

There was Harry's double – that must have been James. An auburn haired witch that could only be Lily Evans. A dark-haired, devilishly good-looking, bright-eyed Sirius Black. A small, nervous blonde boy that could only be the rat, Peter Pettigrew. And Remus – the ever-sweet, handsome Remus Lupin. Hermione simply watched them talking and interacting for a while, seeing how they were with each other and how they were so comfortable they were together – they were easily as close as she, Harry and Ron. Easily.

It was Lily who first spotted she was awake, and with a murmured sentence in Remus' ear she stood and approached Hermione, eyes warm but a little wary. "How are you feeling?"

"Groggy." Hermione admitted, and sat up further, rubbing her eyes. "I'm Hermione Granger." She held out her hand and the other witch took it with a grin.

"Lily Evans – but I assume you already knew that." The tone wasn't accusatory, as Hermione had been expecting, but tinged with humour. "Remus has been filling us in on who you are and why you're here."

"I see." Hermione looked pensively at the fire, tapping her lip with her finger.

"Ah...Sirius has something for you, that his cousin Andromeda got for him. He doesn't understand exactly why you need this cup, or what it's for..." Hermione groaned. Was there ever going to be an end to this bloody horcrux hunt? She nodded tiredly and rested her head in her hands with a sigh.

"I'm sick of destroying these things." She grumbled, and Lily just looked confused – but thankfully she didn't press the matter.

"Well, I think we should go up to bed; no offence intended Hermione, but you look atrociously tired." The girl said, all business and authority as she picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Merlin, Hermione, this weighs the same as my book bag. What have you got in here?"

"Books." Hermione replied with a soft smile, eyes still trailing on Remus as she stood, smoothing the wrinkles out of her Hogwarts robe. Turning her eyes to Lily she brushed her hair out of her face and nodded for Lily to lead the way. She was in a strange, day-dream state where it felt like she was floating up the stairs, floating into Lily's spare pyjamas and floating right on into her new bed. It was only when she woke in the middle of the night, in a frantic attack of emotions, memories and thoughts that the harsh reality she had put her and her best friends in hit home, and with a strangled sob she wept into a pillow.

"Shh... Hermione, don't cry." Lily was out of her bed in a flash, as if she had been expecting this from the moment she had first brought her into the room, and her arms were around her in seconds. "It's okay, you did the right thing, I believe it. You were smart enough to come and get him early, and you're going to save so many people. You've got five pairs of hands extra to take down You-Know-Who."

"Four." Hermione sobbed into Lily's shoulder. "Don't trust Peter as far as you could throw him."

"Okay." Lily didn't sound at all concerned, even though Hermione knew she must be reeling with this first bit of future information. "Better?" She asked as Hermione sat back, and when she nodded Lily pulled her to her feet and handed her a dressing gown. "Now, I know I'm Head Girl, but we all need to relax sometimes. I've got James' invisibility cloak, and we're going down to the kitchens to get you something to eat, something to drink, and then we're going to sit and talk a bit more."

"What if we get caught?" Hermione looked nervously as Lily threw the cloak over their heads.

"We won't." she said firmly, and pulled Hermione in the direction of the stairs, the portrait, and then on to the kitchens.

.

* * *

"I cannot wear this!" Hermione looked at herself in the mirror with a small shriek. She wore tight fitting jeans with a high waist, a large grey t-shirt claiming "HOGWARTS, HOGWARTS, HOGGY WARTY HOGWARTS" that slipped off one shoulder purposefully, showing a vest top underneath, and a pair of black muggle trainers; Rebok classics, if Hermione was not mistaken. Lily had found that Hermione was a very similar size to her and so had no problems making duplicates of her clothes for her – except that the clothes were very late 70's, not her usual style at all. Hermione really was in another world – her hair even fit in fashionably here (with a little help from some hairspray and a good deal of very strong conditioner) – and it was worrying because it felt very....right.

"You can, and you will. You'll have Remus falling at your feet by the end of the day." Lily said proudly, and Hermione spluttered, her eyes wide.

"I don't... he was my...Lily!"

"Uh-huh, absolutely." The girl said absently as she pottered around the room, looking for a book she had been reading. "You're going to have to do something before we return to lessons, so you may as well pursue him a little..."

"Lily! I don't even..."

"Liar." Lily stood up squarely, nose to nose with Hermione, and the two continued to stare at each other forcefully, neither giving in for a moment.

"Boys are so much easier." Hermione muttered, conceding defeat as she sat back down on her bed, huffing.

"Oh yes, but it does us good to get away from them every so often, don't you agree?"

"I suppose." She admitted, with a smile. "I've yet to find a boy who quite appreciates my love of books and learning..."

"Oh yes, you have. Now we're going down to see him, and then to breakfast. Come on!"

"Less of the dragging, please!" Hermione shrieked as she was pulled out of the door again, her shoulder beginning to ache a little. Lily was certainly decisive, and wasn't scared about being a little forceful about it.

"Sorry." She said, slightly abashed. "I can be a little...enthusiastic."

"Really?" Hermione replied, a little sarcastically, and Lily rolled her eyes. "Just a little?"

"Oh, you know what I mean!" Lily now looked a little flustered, but still cheerful as she ever seemed to be. "Now come on, let's go find Remus!"

It wasn't, in fact, hard to find the Marauders, as they were all sat together in the common room looking over a map – a map Hermione knew very well, and knew in fact a duplicate was residing in her best friend's bag. So was a duplicate of the invisibility cloak.

"Ahem." Lily cleared her throat, and the four boys turned to the two girls. Sirius openly gaped at Hermione, and then stood tall into a sweeping bow, striding up to her and kissing her hand dramatically.

"Fair lady, I am Lord Sirius of the family Black, and I am most honoured to meet such a great, wise, time-traveller..."

"Padfoot..." James warned, eyes narrowing, and Sirius sighed, rolling his eyes and dropping her hand.

"Yes, yes, not for playing, I know. Can't blame a guy for trying..."

Hermione, to her horror, giggled girlishly once again – a habit she was forming and it was a disturbing one at that. Hermione had never been _girlish, _more _bookish_, so this decidedly female side was a very new thing to her. She honestly didn't know what to make of it.

"Hermione." Remus said in his soft voice, and she turned to greet him with a bright smile followed by a running hug.

Remus wasn't at all prepared for this very obvious display, and had to fight not to fall backwards. Tentatively he hugged the vivacious girl back and he could feel her smile into his shoulder before she stepped back, flushed.

"Ah, where are..." Hermione gestured, trying to indicate Harry and Ron without giving anything away – she didn't know who knew what, or what story had been created for them.

"_Harold_ is in..." Remus scowled. "Slytherin; _Ronald_ is in Hufflepuff, and let me tell you – not impressed."

"Really?" Hermione's eyebrows shot up. "Did Dumbledore re-sort them?"

"Ah, no... he sort of decided to put them there as cover. I'll explain everything at breakfast." Remus looked around at his friends, who were either chatting (Sirius and Peter) or snogging (Lily and James) and clapped his hands, rubbing them together.

"Breakfast, everyone?"

"Excellent idea, Moony. Lead the way!" Sirius struck a pose, and everyone but Remus and Hermione laughed – the two rolled their eyes in unison. "Oh, please don't tell me you like_ books_..."

Hermione, sensibly, took Remus' offered arm and pointedly ignored Sirius' first comment. However, she really couldn't ignore the second.

"You've got a fantastic arse!"

She started laughing using her free hand to cover her face as she shook her head., before she whipped out her wand and vanished Sirius' trousers. She couldn't resist – it was almost an impossibility. James roared with laughter and clapped a heavy hand on Hermione's shoulder whilst she slowly gained a horrified expression.

"I just vanished Sirius Black's trousers...oh, he is going to _kill_ me!" she wailed, burying her head into Remus' shoulder. "Don't laugh!"

"Why? It's funny!" Remus reasoned, head thrown back as he watched Sirius strut around in his underwear after a moment of slight embarrassment.

"Babe, if you'd wanted to see me wearing a little less, all you had to do was ask!" He ran to stand in front of Hermione, holding his arms out wide as if for a hug – and, thoroughly mortified at seeing her best friend's godfather acting like, well, such a blatant flirt, she continued to hide her head in Remus' shoulder.

"Come on, let's get you to breakfast and find your friends." Remus murmured to her, putting an arm around her shoulder in a protective, comforting gesture. She was a potential wild one, like the Marauders themselves, but she had a fondness for the rules that was entirely too endearing – especially when she blushed quite like that. Remus wondered, as he led her out of the portrait and down to the great hall, if it would be worth acting like Sirius for a while to get his own trousers vanished – if he could get her to blush that way.

"Thanks." Hermione said warmly, and with only a slight hesitance she put an arm around his waist, still leaning into him. _This is nice_, she thought with a quick smile, and subconsciously tightened her arm around the boy a little tighter as she entered the Great Hall. At the very least, she seemed to be welcomed amongst the Marauders.

"They're not here yet – shall we grab a seat and some food?" Remus asked after he had scanned the hall. When Hermione nodded, he led her to the Gryffindor table.

"So, Mr Lupin." Hermione began as she grabbed herself a piece of toast and some jam. "Has Sirius forgiven you?"

"Of course he has." Remus answered promptly, with a smirk. "He knew he'd gone too far before he even left the dorm room." He took a bite of his bacon sandwich (made with toast, however), and looked thoughtfully across the room. "We said our apologies last night after you crashed out – we've been friends too long and have shared too much together for something like that to get in the way."

Hermione nodded, thinking about her friendship with Harry and Ron. "I know what you mean."

"Forgive me for saying this, but how did you three become friends? You don't exactly...ah..._mix..._" Remus began, and Hermione started to open her mouth in a reply, when they were interrupted.

"We saved her from a troll in the girls toilets on Halloween of our first year, after Ron upset her something terrible." Harry rested a hand on her shoulder and she looked up, and jumped a mile. Harry didn't look like exactly like Harry anymore. He wasn't wearing glasses, and his hair was long – to his shoulders.

"Wow, _Harry_..." She gulped, still in shock from the change. "Ron! You're blonde!" She looked at him in exactly the same searching manner, looking for the differences. He was now a striking white-blonde, with more tanned skin than usual, and less freckles because of it. "Merlin..."

"Yeah..." He grumbled, leaning against the table . "Dumbledore though it was for the best, and everything...and we got stuck in different houses. I'm in _Hufflepuff..._" He spat the name with disgust, glancing over at the table he would be sitting at in a moment or two.

"Speak for yourself. I've joined the dark side." Harry didn't look angry. "The sorting hat didn't know the first time where to put me, so I just mentioned that I had almost been a Slytherin and he directed me to the common room. Not that I needed them." He gave Hermione a sly wink and she blushed.

"Don't you dare, Harry James Potter." She said under her breath, and he held up his hands in defeat.

"What was that about?" Remus asked her, eyebrows raised.

"I...uh...Polyjuice potion, second year... ah, we sort of sneaked down into the Slytherin common room, but mine, um, went a bit wrong..."

"She got cat ears and a tail, that's what." Ron said loudly, but promptly shut up when he got a piece of toast thrown at his forehead, and a deathly glare from both his friends. "Sorry, sorry..." Remus narrowed his eyes at Hermione, and then chuckled to himself as he began to eat again. He was sure the cat ears and tail were something he could experiment with at a later date, with excellently funny effects.

"Hush up, you." Hermione jabbed him in the arm with her fork, and he quietened, turning in his seat to look at her.

"Meow?" He didn't press the matter further when she glared icily at him, but he didn't fail to notice the small smile playing on her lips as she returned to eating her toast, waving at her best friends as they moved to their respective tables.

.

* * *

"Sooo, Hermione...can I call you Mione? How about Mya? I like Mya.... anyway, _Mya_, I noticed you and Moony are quite close..."

"I'm very sure you did, Sirius Black." She said patiently, looking up from her book with raised eyebrows. "But have you not noticed that I'm equally close to Harry and Ron?"

"Well, yes." Sirius admitted. "But you've not known our Moony that long, and I am simply curious as to if you like him..."

"I've known Remus a fair while, as long as I've known you."

"But not Lily and James?" Sirius enquired, intrigued. If Harry was meant to be their son (something the happy couple hadn't been privy to in Remus' explanation, yet Sirius had badgered out of Remus) then surely his best friends would have met his parents?

"Sirius..." She warned. "I can't tell you that. All I'm going to say is keep an eye on Peter."

"They're dead, aren't they?" His voice was void of all emotion, but his eyes were darker to a deep brown, almost black.

"I can't say, Sirius, you know that."

"So that's a yes then, and it was Peter who dealt the final blow." The boy stood, eyes flashing dangerously.

"Sirius, don't you dare. I'll erase your memory." she warned, brandishing her wand.

"You wouldn't dare." He challenged, and tilted his head as she stood, her book dropping to the floor.

"Try me. I've done it to my own parents for their safety. Harry, Ron and I have a mission, and I'm not going to let you mess it up. I'm not going to let anyone mess it up. Your life, Dumbledore's, and several thousand other lives are at risk. How can I get you to understand that this is war, Sirius? You need to talk to Harry, listen to how many time's he's faced Voldemort, how he's nearly died so many times. We're here to change that – even if we die in the process, our reborn selves can grow up in a world free from threat, from disaster, free from fighting and death."

Hermione's eyes burned as she spoke, her wand still pointed at Sirius. His face fell and he sat back in a chair in the otherwise empty common room, his hand running through his hair. "I die?"

"We don't quite know if you died or not, but you disappeared. Through a veil in the department of mysteries..."

"I don't want to know the details, just if I did or not." He snapped, putting his head on his knees and looking more vulnerable than she had ever seen him, the laughter and charm gone. "Did any of us survive longer?"

"Remus." She answered quietly, dropping to her knees. "I hope, by telling you this, things change."

"They will. I'm not going to trust that rat again, I assure you that."

"Try not to act differently around him. He's not evil yet, and people can change more than you could begin to imagine." She rested a hand on his knee.

"Okay." He said. "Okay." He took a deep breath, and a smile began to form on his lips, a ghost of the one she was used to seeing. "So, you _do_ fancy Moony..."

"Back to that, are we?" Hermione sighed, closing her eyes. Quickly, Sirius dived into her wide open bag, slipped the diary he could see into his pocket and pulled Hermione up for an impromptu hug.

"It's good, you know, if you do. You'd be good for him."

"That may well be, Sirius, but I might die. It's quite a probability that I will. I can't do that to someone." She rested into his shoulder – he was a bigger build than Remus, and a good bit taller.

"And he's going to be difficult because of his furry little problem, so you've both got the baggage to go with it. Why not give him a chance?"

Hermione sighed. "I'm scared."

"What, of Remus?" Sirius asked with a laugh.

"No, of what's going to happen next."

"You'll snog him, then you'll get a good grope, and who knows, you might even..."

"Sirius!" She scolded, thumping him in the chest, and he groaned dramatically. "I meant of the future, of what's going to happen if we manage to get shut of him, once and for all....or if we don't."

"'The basis of optimism is sheer terror'. You'd be a bloody nutter if you weren't scared...but keep your chin up for yourself and everyone else. Because when we win, you go and marry Remus, Lily will marry James, I'll be a sexy single bachelor for the rest of my life and your friends can go and do what the hell they want. We have a happily ever after, like those Muggle fairytales say."

"Oscar Wilde?"

"I go against my family in every way, including muggle literature. So, what about it. Happily ever after?" Sirius pushed, getting her out of the slump before she really got into it.

"That'd be perfect." Hermione smiled dreamily, allowing herself a moment of wishful thinking.

"HA! So you do fancy Moony! Excellent!" Sirius cheered, pushing the girl away as he jumped up onto a chair and started bouncing. Blushing, Hermione gave a small nod before getting down to business.

"Sirius, you have something for me?" Her low tone indicated that the discussion had taken a very serious turn. Settling, he pulled a small cup out of his bag and handed it to Hermione, who looked at it in disgust.

"I'm working on the other one, the locket?"

"I thought about that, Sirius. It won't be made yet. Not until 1979. It means we've got nearly a year before it's going to be in your possession. Sirius..." Hermione trailed off, trying to think of how to phrase what needed to be done as she slipped the cup into her pocket.

"Yeah?"

"You need to get back on speaking terms with Regulus. Its going to be him that we're relying on, before this is over."

Sirius looked downcast, eyes darkening. "He's one of them, Mya. He's got the mark – he's had it for a year now."

"Trust me, Sirius. Your brother isn't who you think he is... or he won't be for much longer."

Sirius looked at her for a long while, contemplating her words, before he nodded once – quite sharply – turned on his heel, and left the common room.

.

.

* * *

_Remus Lupin woke up screaming, and looked around his room in sheer terror. A soft voice came from down the corridor, asking if he was okay, and a scruffy black head poked in with a baby in his arms, a scar burned onto his forehead, fresh and red-raw._

"_I'm fine, James, go back to sleep. You've got Harry to look after." _

"_I don't know if I can do it alone, Moony." James said brokenly. "I can't do it without her. Why did she have to go out? WHY?" _

"_She died to save Harry, and now he's protected in a way that can never be undone. Come here, mate..." Remus indicated his bed, and pulled the man down for a hug as he sobbed brokenly, the toddler sitting between them, quietly looking up with bright green eyes. _

"_Mummy?" He asked in his wobbly baby voice, and the two men looked down at him. _

"_Mummy's gone to be with the angels, kiddo, but you've got daddy and Uncle Remy and Uncle Siri and Uncle Peter and Auntie Mya and Uncle Ron and Uncle Harry..." James said bravely to his son, named after himself so Harry Potter would be remembered throughout history once again._

"_Mummy?" The boy's lip trembled, and James held him to his chest, rocking him so that he didn't cry. He was perceptive, damn it, like his mother. _

"_I love you, Harry, I love you..." He said quietly as the boy sniffled in his arms. "We all love you, and we'll see mummy again, one day. But that day's not for a very, very long time..."_

_._

_

* * *

  
_


	5. Lily's Son

**Hey! Here we are with another chapter. A little early, again, because I'm going back home from uni this weekend and I won't be back to upload Sunday; my laptop is knackered and so I can't take it anywhere. **

**Thank you for the great reviews, I'm getting loads more than I expected and that's an amazing feeling. I was expecting maybe one or two – there don't seem to be that many Remy fans out there! -sigh- **

**Now, I really should go back to my English essay – Suppression and Subordination of the female in English literature, the authoress and the female character. Also known as – lets become feminists and rip apart the works of Austen, Tennyson and Fleur Adcock. FUN. **

**Read, review, but most importantly: ENJOY. I'm sorry it's shorter, but it felt right to stop here. I didn't think it was appropriate to re-hash the story we all know. **

**Much Love,**

**MM**

**.**

**

* * *

  
**

"Right...shh! Hermione, pass us that fang..." Harry muttered as they stood in the Shrieking Shack, looking at the Horcruxes that had come into their possession.

"So, mate, shall we take one each? I'll do the cup, you can do the diary; Hermione, d'you want to get rid of the ring?" Ron took out the three items from his bag, throwing two to their respective destroyers. "What else is there after this?"

"The locket, which Sirius is on...and then we need to get hunting for Ravenclaw's diadem." Hermione answered promptly, rolling the ring around in her hand, looking at it with a sigh. "Here, Ronald, you'll need one of these..." She handed him one of the Basillisk fangs. "How shall we do this? One at a time, or all together?"

"Let's just get it over and done with, shall we? It's nearly dinner and we're all going to feel rubbish after doing it so..."

"Right." Harry straightened, holding the diary and a fang. "Five, four, three, two..." He raised the fang, glaring at the diary as if he were staring at Voldemort in the face.

"One." He said, and each of the trio hammered down their weapon into the core of the horcrux. Each horcrux seemed to scream, as if it were begging for mercy as the fragment of the soul were destroyed. Each sagged to their knees, breathing heavily, swirling darkness lined with silver memories and flashes of destruction flitting in front of their eyes. Hermione threw down the ring and fang, sagging back against a wall with long scratches down it that stopped just before her head. She looked out of the window and let her head clear, fighting a dizzying sickness.

"Well then." Harry said roughly. "That's three done, and two more to go. Right?"

"Right." Ron said firmly. "You okay, mate?" he said, concerned, as Harry slumped heavily against the bed, clutching his scar.

"Fine. Bloody thing." He muttered, and then swayed before falling unconscious at the foot of the bed.

"Bugger! Harry! Harry mate, wake up!"

"Oh Merlin, I should have realised destroying so many fragments of Voldemort's soul would do this to him, what with his link and everything! If only he'd kept up with his occlumency..."

"Not _now_, Hermione, we need to get him up to Dumbledore, or at least the hospital wing. Come on, help me..." Ron snapped, heaving Harry up onto his back with some help from his panicking friend. "Now, go and tap the root... Take the stick, Hermione – what were you going to do it with, your hair? I'll follow with Harry."

Hermione shook herself and stumbled forward, picking up a long branch. "Oh, the Horcruxes..." She quickly packed them up in her bag to hide, and walked out of the shack into the tunnel, followed by Ron moments later. Using the long branch they had acquired from the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Hermione reached up to press the knot and scrambled through the hole, helping Ron with Harry as she braced her arms and pulled him up.

"Right, Hermione, leg it up to Dumbledore, give him the stuff and tell him Harry's out for the count. I'll get him to the hospital wing, and I'll see you there, okay?"

"It's fine Ronald, I'll see you there. Bye." Hermione dashed off towards the castle, holding her book bag filled with fangs and horcruxes so that the bag didn't open and fall out.

"Mya?" She heard someone call, but paid them no heed as she focused solely on getting to Dumbledore's office. "Oi, Mya, slow down!" Sirius grabbed her and turned her around, searching her face. "Why are you running like a bat out of hell?"

"Dumbledore...Harry...Unconscious... destroyed three..." she panted, and before Sirius could muster a response, she'd run off in the direction of the Headmaster's office.

"Bloody mental, that one." Sirius said, shaking his head, before going to find Remus to get his demented would-be girlfriend (Sirius had already decided that they were going to be together, and was about to go and plot with James, anyway) to stop being so mental.

.

* * *

"Sugar Quill! Bertie Bott's! Blood Pops!" The Gargoyle bowed at the last one, and moved out of the way for Hermione to pass up the stairs.

"Ah, Miss Granger. Do tell me, why is it so many students manage to pass into my office with so little difficulty?" The headmaster said cheerfully, greeting the witch, but paused when he saw the panicked expression on her face. "My dear, what _is_ the problem? Are you quite well?"

"We've just destroyed three of the Horcruxes sir, but Harry's fainted! Oh Merlin, he was clutching his scar like it was burning off his face." she began to explain.

"What scar, Miss Granger?" The professor prompted, and Hermione jumped. She had completely forgotten that this Dumbledore did not know Harry's story. She focussed her mind on the task, and found that it calmed her in the process.

"The lightning-shaped scar on his forehead, sir. He got it when he was just a baby, after his mother was murdered by Voldemort. Because she died to save Harry, he was given a protection that Voldemort couldn't pass through, and his own curse rebounded on him, causing him to be without body, or any way to house his spirit. The scar is a link between Harry and Voldemort, and sometimes it causes him pain – from mild to severe – and sometimes shows Harry what Voldemort is thinking or feeling, if he hasn't been keeping up with his occlumency, which I know he hasn't..."

Dumbledore raised his hand, and Hermione paused in her tale. "That is enough for me to be going on with, Miss Granger. I expect Mr Weasley has taken him to the hospital wing?"

"He has, sir." Hermione replied quickly.

"Excellent. The destroyed Horcruxes, if you will?" Hermione rummaged in her bag for the items, placing them on the table before the headmaster. "Wonderful. What, if I may ask, did you use to destroy them?"

"Basillisk fangs, sir." Hermione held one up to the old wizard, and he examined it carefully before handing it back.

"I shall not ask how you acquired those, dear girl, for I fear it is something I should not know." His eyes twinkled. "Now, I do believe Sirius Black and Remus Lupin are hovering outside my office, quite insistently trying to guess the password." Hermione looked towards the door and sighed. "I shall speak to you on the matter of Horcuxes later, Miss Granger, once I have spoken to Mr Potter about his encounter..."

"Encounters." Hermione corrected, and Dumbledore's eyes widened a fraction.

"Encounters with Lord Voldemort. Now, dear girl, please feel free to assure Messrs Black and Lupin that you are quite well, and go to see your friend Mr Potter, if it is at all possible. Our new nurse is rather...enthusiastic."

Hermione bit her lip, smiling. It seemed that Madame Pomfrey had not mellowed with age, or got any worse, and was just as obsessive over her patients as a new nurse than as an older one. Hermione allowed herself to be led out of Dumbledore's office and down the revolving staircase, his hand resting on her shoulder as they descended.

"Miss Granger, before we depart, I must tell you that you are doing a remarkable job – one that even wizards older and more powerful than I would not undertake. If you are in any need of assistance, at any time, do not hesitate to ask."

"Then I have one thing that we're stumped on – the whereabouts of Ravenclaw's diadem."

"It is said to be lost, but I shall do what I can." The headmaster bowed his head, and then smiled pleasantly. "Ah, Mr Black and Mr Lupin, what service may I do you today? I do hope it isn't another detention."

"Not today, professor. We don't need any more, after all – I still hold the school record." Sirius said proudly, and the Headmaster raised his eyebrows before turning to leave the three students alone at the end of the corridor.

"Well then!" Sirius rubbed his hands together, glancing at Hermione and Remus, who shared a small smile and a hug. "We," He gestured to himself and Remus, to which Hermione rolled her eyes "Have been told to escort you to the hospital wing to see your mate. Apparently he's still out of it, but you know..." He shrugged, and then offered Hermione his arm.

She took it with only a little hesitation – a glance at Remus, who gave his friend a dirty look. Hermione bit her lip, and dared to do something she hadn't done since the Yule Ball in 4th year – she took hold of a boy's hand. Well, she'd held Ron and Harry's before, but they were Ron and Harry, she reasoned as she looked up at him. He stared straight ahead, but a small smile played on his lips, a light blush across his cheeks as he squeezed her small hand in return. Sirius watched the two purposefully not meet the other's eyes, and decided that going to the hospital wing was not in fact what he wanted to do, but he wanted to plot with James, and maybe Lily, on how to kick the two into action.

"Ahem. I just remembered, I really, really need to talk to Jamesie about something for next weekend, so if you'll excuse me..." Sirius removed his arm, bowed his head politely to Hermione and clapped Remus on the shoulder before making a speedy exit.

"What on earth...?" Hermione looked in the direction Sirius had run, and shook her head. Remus nodded and stayed silent as they stood in the corridor together, not moving or speaking as they held hands, neither quite knowing what to do.

"Remus."

"Hermione." They started at the same time, and laughed awkwardly together as their eyes met. "You go first." Remus smiled as she bowed her head, blushing furiously. He raised his hand to her chin and tilted her head upwards so she could look him in the eye.

"I..." She didn't know what to say. She fancied him so much it made her chest ache? That she got nervous and butterflies attacked her stomach every time she looked into his eyes? There was no way to articulate what she felt for him, because she didn't know herself. They were dangerously close, she could feel his breath on her lips and her vision drifted from his eyes to his lips, and she licked her own nervously.

"Well, shall we go?" She said finally, and Remus sighed and dropped his hand. What had he been hoping for – a declaration of undying love?

"Come on." He gave her hand a gentle tug and began to pull her in the direction of the hospital wing.

.

* * *

"So what you're both telling me is that Remus and Hermione are destined to be together, but just need a good shove in the right direction?" James blinked, trying to process the information Lily and Sirius were presenting him with.

"Exactly." The two chorused, and James looked at the two again before grinning wickedly.

"Well then, if they're as shy as you're both saying, then I can come up with only one reasonable solution, can't I?" He glanced at Sirius, who was nodding as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Hogsmeade and alcohol?" Lily guessed, and the two agreed.

"Whilst that is a brilliant plan that we will have to follow up on, I think we need to do a bit of research into our Mya. This, therefore, is why I have managed to nick this." Sirius pulled a small red diary out of his robes.

"Isn't that the diary I gave to Moony last year?"

"Yep – it's the one he was talking about that got him and our Mya talking. And... here, check this out." Sirius opened the diary, and a picture formed on the surface, showing Remus and Hermione talking with Ron, sat around Harry. Hermione tenderly pushed a lock of hair off Harry's forehead, showing a lightning bolt scar, before she let out a little sob and threw her arms around Remus.

"That is so very cool." James breathed. "They're such geeks, but it's very, very cool geekishness."

Lily watched their movements, and it only confirmed to her that the two were meant to be together, in her own opinion. Remus was truly concerned for her and he held her gently as Ron rested a hand on her shoulder – Remus was talking to Ron who was nodding on occasion, and Hermione gave an input every so often. Ron looked like he was getting frustrated, more and more, and then Lily could clearly read his lips.

"Hermione's blaming herself." Lily whispered, and the two boys looked at her from their plotting for the upcoming Friday.

"For what's happened to Harry? Why?"

"Who knows?" Lily said quietly. "Those three are doing something dangerous, so I suppose this is something to do with that... and Hermione's blaming herself because she didn't know something – probably that it would hurt Harry. You don't suppose that scar he's got means anything important?"

"It might, Lil. It just might." James took the diary from his girlfriend and watched them for a while. "I can sometimes see what he's saying – _It's Voldemort, not you, _and _that bloody curse of a scar_. I guess we were on the mark with that."

"What if it's a link?" Sirius said, frowning. "A link to Voldemort – maybe Voldemort was after him in the future or something."

"I think it's more than that." Lily responded after a few moments. "I think it's a link between them, but I think that he's the one that's got the key to destroying Voldemort, and that's why Voldemort was after him. To get him first."

"Woah." James sat back, nodding in agreement with the two. "He reminds me a little bit of me, does that make sense? Like he'd do anything to protect the people he loves. He even looks like me a bit, too."

Sirius watched as Lily nodded and wished he could shout it from the rooftops that he was their son. Instead, he would subtly hint it until they figured it out themselves, or Harry told them of his own accord. "Well, next time you see him, take a good look in his eyes. You might see something surprising about them."

James glanced at Sirius and rolled his eyes at the ambiguous comment before pushing it aside, and began to work out the finer details for the weekend and the drunken night they hoped would bring Remus and Hermione together. Lily, however, narrowed her eyes at Sirius. He knew something they didn't about this Harry, and that irritated her. Standing, she informed the two boys that she was going for a walk to the library and she'd see them later, and with a quick kiss she left the common room.

Instead of heading towards the library, she went down from the tower and along to the first floor, slipping into the Hospital wing quietly. Harry lay alone in the room, and she steadily walked up to the bed to look down on him. He looked remarkably like James – so alike that they could pass for brothers – and with a hair cut, twins.

"Who are you?" she asked out loud, and jumped as he stirred, his eyes closed tightly and his hands gripping the sheets on the bed.

"Mum, dad, no!" He muttered, thrashing a little, and instinctively Lily reached a hand out to soothe him, stroking his hair until he stilled again. "Don't kill them, Voldemort! Please!" he begged, still in a dream state.

"Shh..." She said out loud to him, taking his hand and continuing to stroke his hair. He awoke with a jolt, scrambling to sit up straight. In his state of nightmare he locked eyes with Lily, and she realised that her own eyes were staring right back at her.

"Mum?" He breathed, before he collapsed again, his body relaxing completely. With a gasp, Lily stepped back, letting go of his hand, Harry's hand, her son's hand, and she fled the Hospital wing, running out onto the grounds.

Harry was her son. The realisation hit her fully as the wind whipped her hair. She ran to the great lake and sat on one of the rocks, her knees drawn up to her chest as she rested her head on them. As she thought about his appearance, she thought that he could very easily be her and James' son, and the way he was calling out...Lily let out a sob. He hadn't just come back to save the wizarding world from Voldemort, he'd come back to save his parents. She and James had died.

She wept bitterly for over an hour – for herself, for James, for her friends and the entire wizarding world. Most of all, though, she wept for her son. What sort of world had he lived in, what terrors had he lived through, that would make him come to the past to end it all now? Had it really been that horrific?

"Lily?" A tentative voice called from behind her, and she looked over her shoulder at a concerned-looking Hermione.

"My son." Lily croaked, choking on the words. "He's my son, and James and I died."

"Oh, Lily..." Hermione ran the short distance and put her arms around the girl, letting her lean into her and sob to her heart's content. Lily grasped her cloak as Hermione held her, trying desperately to understand what was going on.

"Tell me." The red-head said after several long minutes. "Tell me everything."

Hermione took a deep breath – this would be the final blow to the future, someone involved knowing the whole story, with the absolute power to stop it. There was only one place to begin, and she hoped she remembered it all.

"There is a prophecy, that predicts the fall of Voldemort..." and so, holding on to a weeping Lily, she told her Harry Potter's story to the present date, as the daylight faded, the wind blew, and the rain began to fall.

.

* * *

_A ripple started from Hogwarts Castle in 1997, starting from the great lake, like a small explosion that spread out in waves. The ripple spread, altering time, knowledge and understanding not only there, but all over the world. _

_Albus Dumbledore looked out of the window in his office in two different times, but he held the same thoughtful expression – one of understanding, joy, pain, sadness and a myriad of other different emotions and thoughts that none could read._

_In both times, Minerva McGonagall burst into the office, a wild look in her eyes. "Albus, what's going on?" Said Minerva in the past, and in the future, she backed up against the door, stating the same thing, followed by a reverent whisper; "You're not dead."_

_Albus looked at the woman and smiled, offering her a sweet silently. "It has begun." The two times echoed each other, before blackness took the whole of the future world for only a few seconds; yet in those few seconds, the the whole of time was going to change from 1977. What was thought to be the past would change, what was thought to be the future would never occur, and the whole life of a generation, maybe even two, would change. _


	6. A Sirius Incident

**'Lo!**

**Hope everyone's had a good week! Since the last update I've been to see McFly and Simple plan, and for some reason, thought it was clever to join the pit at the latter. I am now battered and bruised to show for it but it was effin AWESOME!!!**

**In other news, last chapter didn't seem that popular! SobSob! Hope you enjoy this one more! Read, review, but most importantly...**

**ENJOY**

**Much Love  
MM**

**.**

**

* * *

  
**

"Hermione?" Lily asked some time later, as they walked to the kitchen for a cup of hot chocolate, some chocolate, and maybe some chocolate ice-cream once they had warmed up.

"Hmm?"

"Can I tell James? I think he has the right to know." Lily said, with a little trepidation, but relaxed when Hermione smiled.

"Of course – if you need any help just ask me. I think the two of you will need to talk to Harry, anyway, about everything." she rested a hand on Lily's arm. "Don't treat him any differently, he hates it. He's still just Harry, at the end of the day, no matter what he's done and who he's faced."

"Yeah." Lily was still in shock from the story of her son, and she began to feel a pang in her heart – she wanted that son to be real, not just the version that was their age. "I do believe I'm becoming broody." She joked, and Hermione looked relieved.

"Good. Harry needs to be born, Lily. Just in case..." Hermione drifted off.

"In case you have to do it all again." Lily supplied, understanding. "How have you managed to do it and not destroy yourself mentally?"

"We're Gryffindors." Hermione said, holding her head high as she tickled the pear. "We can face anything."

"Anything." Lily agreed, and let herself be pampered for a little while by the house elves. She'd got a new-found respect for Hermione, Harry and Ron, and would be willing to help them in any way she could; that included the horcrux hunt. Ravenclaw's diadem... brought by Tom Riddle to the castle...hidden...

"Hermione." Lily flung her hand out, eyes wide. She knew where it could be hidden. It was so obvious, she wasn't at all surprised that they had completely overlooked it as a place where something could be hidden.

"What?"

"The Room of Requirement!"

"You genius!" Hermione cried, hugging Lily hard over the table. "We've got time to find it, but hurry up and get that drunk, and we can go get it now."

"Okay." Lily finished off the hot drink, letting it warm her fully as she dried off her clothes with a quick charm. "You ready?"

"One second." Hermione picked her cloak up from off the rack over the fire, thanked the house elves and walked quickly from the kitchen, following Lily. They were out of breath by the time they reached the spot where the room should be, and considered what they should ask for.

"The place where everything is hidden." Hermione walked back and forth, focussing on the singular thought. It took a long time for the door to appear, and when it did Hermione was sure she was mistaken, or the room was. It looked just like any other broom cupboard.

"Well?" Lily asked as Hermione looked at her. "Are we going in, or what?"

"Yes." Hermione nodded her head and pulled open the door, gasping when it opened. There were shelves and shelves of items that had been hidden over the years, and boxes, and cupboards.

"Whoa..." Lily muttered, closing the door behind them as she looked around the large room. "Let's get searching then, shall we?"

They searched each shelf, from beginning to end. There was no diadem. They searched the cupboards – there was no diadem there either. It all came down to the piles of boxes. The two girls looked at each other and sighed.

"Accio Diadem!" Lily called, but nothing happened. "Ah well, it was worth a try. Sods law it will be in the last box, so we may as well get down to it."

It took over two hours more searching, before Hermione's fingers grazed a small silver circlet, encrusted with bright blue sapphires. She lifted it out of the box and with the light of her wand examined it carefully. It really was something quite beautiful.

"Lily." Hermione called the girl, and the red-head leaned over her shoulder, taking a deep breath. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"It needs to go." Lily said firmly, taking it from Hermione. "Shall I destroy it? You've already done your rounds today with destroying evil." Hermione nodded and pulled a basilisk fang out of her bag, holding it to Lily. Without a second thought she drove the fang into each of the large gems over and over, and then finally into the metal of the diadem. Lily dropped to her knees and threw the two items to the floor, breathing hard. Hermione took the diadem and fang and put them into her bag, and checked over Lily, who was rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"How do you do that more than once?" She asked, and Hermione laughed darkly, helping her new-found-friend up so she didn't fall.

"Come on, let's get out of here." Hermione helped her walk to the door and by the time they were halfway to the Gryffindor common room she was almost right as rain, except for a headache. When the two entered the common room, Hermione was bombarded by Remus.

"Hermione, where did you disappear to?" He looked her over, concerned. "You look exhausted... and why are you wet?" Hermione nodded and fell backwards onto a settee, exhaustion creeping up on her from behind, so it seemed.

"Long day, stressful day, lot of talking with Lily." Her eyes roamed to where Lily and James were talking in earnest, holding on to each other for dear life. "I need to stay close, just in case Lily needs me to explain anything." She relaxed back, closing her eyes.

Remus nodded in understanding, and sat down next to her on the settee – they sat in silence together for a good ten minutes. "Hermione, about earlier..." He looked down at her in slight shock as her head rolled onto his shoulder, but quickly realised she had fallen asleep. With a soft smile he placed a cushion on his lap and moved Hermione so she would be more comfortable; he imagined she'd be in a foul mood if she woke with a stiff neck, especially if it was his fault. Reaching carefully around her, he picked his worn copy of _Hogwarts: A Histor_y up again and started to read, absently playing with her hair and totally oblivious to the looks Sirius, James and Lily were throwing them from their corner.

"This is all so much..." James tried to blink away his own tears. "How could we do that to our little boy?"

"Well, that's why they're here now, to stop it happening again. We know now what to look out for, and hopefully it will all be over before the time comes." Lily tried to reassure him, stroking his face gently.

"There are some things I just can't deal with, Lily. Peter..." He looked at the mousey boy who was playing chess with Sirius animatedly, talking happily and making his friend laugh. "He's not evil, Lily. I can't believe it."

"We can change it, Jamesie; we can remind him of who he belongs with." James nodded and took his girlfriend in his arms, holding her closer by pulling her into his lap.

"I refuse to let you go." He stroked her hair, kissing the top of her head. "I promise. I've worked too hard, fought for too long, to lose you to some psychotic snake-man."

"I know. I know." She laughed through her tears, holding James' face as she kissed him. "Love you, Jamesie."

"Love you too, Lils." He said fondly, tugging at her hair.

"Cute as this is," Sirius interrupted, smirking. "Pete's gone to do tomorrow's essay, and will you take a look at those two?" He pointed towards Hermione and Remus. Lily smiled widely and nudged her boyfriend, who laughed quietly.

"Very sweet." James agreed. "We still on for Friday?"

"Yeah, but I have to go out a little earlier." Sirius said, eyes darkening. "I'm going to see Regulus."

"What!" James hissed, "Why the hell are you doing that? He'll turn you over to that monster."

"He won't." Sirius said confidently, but glanced at Hermione again, all the same. "I trust her, Prongs. We've got to trust them."

James nodded firmly, and so did Lily. It was true – they had to trust these three friends, because their lives, they realised in a moment of startling clarity, were in their hands. It really was a matter of life or death.

"They've risked everything they have to come back and try and do this for us. To save us – all of us. Mya told me..." Sirius swallowed. "Only Remus lives. Out of all of us, Moony's the only one left." Lily bit her lip and looked at her hands, and James gasped.

"Merlin..."

"So you know what, I don't want to die. I want to help them get rid of that bastard once and for all – no second coming. I'm meeting Regulus Friday, we're all going to go out, drink, and celebrate; and then we figure out a way."

"Right. So, are you going to find Harry and Ron and tell them about the pub on Friday?" James asked, turning his thoughts away from the impending darkness just on the horizon, out of Hogwarts.

"I'll owl them now if you want?"

"Yeah, do, I think we'll need their help persuading Mya to come out with us." James' eyes twinkled with mischief, earlier problems forgotten, as Sirius sat down to write two quick notes to Ron and Harry. He felt like a bit of a prank – quite sudden, he hadn't had a good prank in ages, especially against one of his friends. He considered which it would be and who would deal with it better, and decided Sirius, because he still hadn't got any real revenge for messing with Remus.

He looked down, and noticed that Lily had fallen asleep in his arms, her hands pressed against his chest. He was going to protect her at all costs, no matter what came their way. If he had anything to do with it, this prophecy was never going to have the chance to be made, let alone kill him and his beautiful Lily, and nearly his future son.

"Right, am I okay to nick Desdemona to send these?"

"Yeah, go ahead, I'm going to sit here with Lil for a while, think for a bit."

Sirius' expression softened. "Try not to think too much, Prongs." He rested a hand on his friend's shoulder for a second, before heading up the stairs to their dormitory.

.

* * *

"Shh, Lily, keep it down, please, don't want to wake anyone..."

"Why have you dragged me into this, Potter?" She hissed back watching as her boyfriend stunned his best friend.

"I need your help; Remus, Mya, and Peter are all out for the count. Come on!" He got her to open the door as he floated Sirius out of the door. "Thanks. You think you can cover the other two charms?"

"Yeah, I know them. Come on, let's get this done quickly, so we can go back to bed. It's a good job he deserves this, you know..." She watched as James manoeuvred him to the common room. Hermione and Remus still slept soundly together laid out on the settee that James had kindly enlarged a little so they would both fit comfortably.

"Aww..." Lily cooed, momentarily distracted as she whipped out the magical camera they had brought with them, taking a few pictures.

"Not now Lily." James gritted his teeth. "Right, sticking charm."

"Right."

.

* * *

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Hermione shrieked, waking up Remus unceremoniously as she covered her eyes. "Remus!"

"It wasn't me... I'm going to _kill_ James..." He considered his friend, who appeared to be hung from the ceiling naked, covered in honey and feathers to cover his most vital parts. He started to chuckle, much to the annoyance of Hermione, until she started to laugh with him, still laid comfortably on his chest.

"Do you think we should wake him up?" Remus ventured after some of the students began to filter in, and gasps or riotous laughter started to echo in Gryffindor tower.

"Yeah, I suppose so..." He waved his wand and muttered a quick _eneverate_ and Sirius was thrashing about, screaming at the top of his lungs. Remus held Hermione to him as he laughed, and Hermione buried her head in his chest as 'It' waved about quite freely. She mumbled something into his chest but Remus didn't hear, he was both preoccupied with Sirius and rather happy that Hermione was where she was.

"Oh!" Suddenly Hermione noticed their position, and flushed a crimson that Remus had never seen before. She made to move, her eyes wide, but for once he acted on instinct and held her close with his arms. Her movements had caused her to move up his body, and her face hovered over his as he held her tightly.

"Stay."

Hermione relaxed back onto him, smiling into his shoulder, and even dared to tilt her head to the side, pressing a soft, innocent kiss to his jaw. His fingers were drawing lazy patterns on her back, but the shrieking and laughter hadn't eased off as students went down to breakfast.

"Moony! Get me down you traitorous bastard!" Sirius yelled, so instead Remus did the exact opposite. He sat, bringing Hermione with him, and offered her a hand, leading her up the stairs to the boys dormitory. Before they reached the door, Remus stilled her and leaned against the wall, pulling her close again.

"Good morning." He breathed, looking into her brown eyes. Chocolate? Was that what colour they were? She had allowed him to get this close to her, how far would she let him go?

"Very good." Hermione hadn't realised how close they were, or how dry her throat was, and so it came out as little more than a whisper. Was he going to kiss her? He was looking at her so intently, and his face was coming nearer, as if he really was going to kiss her. Her eyes drifted shut of their own accord and just as his lips brushed against hers, the door flew open and knocked her into the wall.

"Ow!" she shouted, rubbing her side, and James stuck his head around the door, eyes wide as Remus glared at him pointedly.

"Bugger, I'm so sorry Hermione, are you okay?" She nodded, mumbling something about getting dressed and Sirius naked and Lily and breakfast, before she ran down the staircase and up to the girls dormitory.

"I hate you, Prongs, do you know that?" Remus said pleasantly, socking his best friend in the shoulder as he walked into the bedroom to change.

"Bugger again, were you about to...?"

"Yes." Remus snapped, and James sighed.

"Really, really sorry mate; but come on, you were behind a door. Not the most sensible place." James ducked as a book was launched at him.

"Go sort out Padfoot, he's screaming bloody murder." Remus said good-naturedly, the incident already forgiven, and James smirked.

"Excellent, isn't it?"

.

* * *

_"Harry, come on! Get up! Ron's already here and you'll miss the train if you don't get up now!" Lily Potter shouted up the stairs of the small cottage in Godric's Hollow. _

_Harry covered his head with his pillow. He was all for going to Hogwarts, but it was early and he would have much preferred to stay in bed. He yelled suddenly as all his covers disappeared and he rolled over to glare at his mother, who's fiery red hair currently matched her temper. Harry laughed nervously and edged towards the bathroom attached to his bedroom, before making a dash for it and locking himself in, turning on the shower. _

"_That's more like it!" She shouted again, but it was softer due to the sound of the shower. "Ten minutes, Harry James Potter, or you'll be sorry." _

"_Yes mum." He said weakly, and then had the quickest shower of his life, dressed quicker than he ever had, and flung himself down the stairs. _

"_Auntie Hermione!" Harry shouted and threw himself at the back of the woman in the room, and she laughed, spinning around._

"_Hello Harry! Ready to go?" _

"_Yeah! But mum got me up so early..." He complained. "Is Ady here?" Hermione smiled and pointed to the garden, where a girl with curly light-brown hair was playing basketball with a red-haired boy. "Ron, Ady!" Harry shouted, and with a last hug he ran into the garden, hugging his two friends. _

"_Mummy?" Another little girl with dark brown pigtails pulled at her mother's arm. "When can I go to Hog...Hogy..." _

"_Hogwarts." Hermione corrected and picked up the child, holding her on her hip. "Not for a good few years yet, Connie. You've got to finish Junior school first, like Ady did." _

"_Oh." She said thoughtfully, and then smiled at her mother. "Where's Cassie?" _

"_Why don't you go ask Auntie Lily?" She put the five year old on the floor and watched as she ran into the kitchen, her high, happy voice questioning Lily. She came running back in, and straight up the stairs, only tripping once as she avoided her father. _

"_Hi daddy!" She shouted as she ran into the playroom, and Remus laughed, taking his wife in his arms. _

"_We nearly ready to go?" Hermione nodded, sighing as he kissed her neck. It was so different now, __but it was something that had been changed for the better. She just hoped that Ron and Harry and __Adriana managed to make friends with her younger self. That needn't change. _

"_Well then, shall I grab the gruesome threesome and let Lily watch the other little terror? Sirius is teaching them this year, isn't he?" _

"_He is. Now, my lovely, I'm off to work with James. Don't give me that look, Remus Lupin, you know it needs to be done. All I'll be doing is erasing muggle memories today anyway. We got the last Death-Eater last week." _

"_I know. I'll see you tonight. Love you." _

"_Love you too." She pressed a kiss to his lips, and then went outside to say goodbye and good luck to her eldest daughter, a quiet word telling her to look out for a little girl called Hermione, look after those two and make sure that Neville didn't get into too much trouble. "Come on, Potter! To work we go!" She called as she marched through the kitchen._

_James came running in with a slice of toast, his Auror robes flapping behind him. "Yes, coming Lupin, I was just saying goodbye to Harry. Are we all set?" He grimaced and rubbed the side of his face, where a large scar spread outward from his ear to his nose. A curse blast from... back then. It still played up from time to time.  
_

"_We are." The two took a handful of floo powder each and disappeared in a flash of green. Remus sighed, shaking his head fondly, before calling the three older children, and the two younger ones, to the large people-carrier they used for big group trips. _

"_Lily! Are you ready?" _

"_Yes, Remus, just a second!" She called from the top of the stairs, and watched the two 5 year old girls slide down the stairs on their behinds. "Come on, you two, less of that."_

"_Mummy..." _

"_Auntie Lily..." They complained as one, causing a brief grin to spread across Lily's face before she frowned dramatically._

"_Don't give me any of that; Cassandra Potter." She looked at the black-haired little girl sternly. "Or you, Constance." Connie stuck her tongue out at Lily and then ran to her daddy, who lifted her up into his arms. _

"_Harry! Ron! Ady! We're going!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. "You got the trunks, Lil?" _

"_I have. Get them into the car, and I'll do the fancy magic." She winked at Remus as the three older children stormed past and into the car. Remus made sure the two younger ones were in their car seats (damn muggle regulations) and watched as Lily floated the trunks into the back of the car. Starting up the engine, he waited for everyone to settle and Lily to lock up and get in, before setting off on the drive down to London. _

_They reached the station at half past 10, some of the earliest there, and so had plenty of time to make sure that..._

_Remus stopped his train of thought as he spied a lone girl, bushy hair sticking out at odd angles, eyes bright and already in her robes. He approached her carefully and she looked up at him curiously. _

"_Are you on your own?" He asked kindly, and she nodded. "Do you want to come and talk to my __daughter? I think, I just think, you might get on well with her." _

"_Oh, thank you! I was dreadfully worried I would be on my own, but my mum and dad couldn't get through the barrier. I read it in Hogwarts: A History..." He let the young Hermione babble as he lead her and her trunk over to his own family. "I'm Hermione, by the way, Hermione Granger." _

_Remus grinned at Lily, who raised an eyebrow. He nodded and let her introduce herself to his daughter, and to Harry and Ron. Ady seemed to take a liking to her immediately, and the first topic that came up was books. He should have known. _

"_Mum..." Harry whined, pulling a face. "Ady's already found someone who loves books as much as she does." _

"_I'm sure she has." Lily said in good humour. "Oh, look, there's Molly. Ron, your mum's here." she called to the red-headed boy, who looked up from his chocolate frog cards. He grinned and ran up to his mum, giving her a hug, and then all his brothers and little sister. _

"_I made you sandwiches, here you go Ronald... Percy! Sandwich! Fred, George!" she shouted over the milling people and the hiss of steam from the train. _

"_Now, please, try and behave this year. I don't want to have a toilet seat sent to me in the post..." _

"_Oh, nice one mum, that's one we've not thought of!" Fred said gleefully, and then spotted Remus watching them with a smirk, before he beckoned them over._

"_Sirius has done you a favour." He said lowly. "Here." he handed them a map he held close to his heart. "He nicked it back from Filch last week, so do us all proud, will you?" _

"_How do we get into it?" George asked, turning the parchment over. _

"_You solemnly swear you are up to no good." Remus advised them, and with a quick nod he helped his daughter onto the train with her things, alongside the young Hermione. _

"_Yes, thanks dad, I'll be fine, I'll keep in touch, I'll help Fred and George..." She ticked things off her fingers, and gave her father the mandatory kiss on the cheek. "I love you." She told him honestly. "Tell mum I love her too." _

"_Bye bye, Ady." Connie said sadly, waving at her. Ady lifted up her little sister, gave her a kiss, and then put her back on the floor. _

"_I'll be back at Christmas, Connie, I'll write to you all on your own if you want." She promised, and Connie giggled before the doors shut magically. The two girls, Hermione and Ady, ran to a window and waved as the train began to move. Connie began to run with the train, and let out a little sob as it finally sped out of the station. _

"_Come on, little one. We're going back to Auntie Lily's." Remus picked up his daughter with a tinge of sadness and a little envy. He would give anything to go back to Hogwarts. _

"_Remus!" Lily beckoned him over, and understood his look. "Don't you wish we were 17 again, getting back on that train..." she said wistfully as they walked through the wall, two small girls running in front of them. _

"_Today, yes. Most of the time, no." He said with a laugh._

"_It was good though, wasn't it?" _

"_It was." He confirmed, a smile on his face. The best years of his life, in so many ways. _

_._

_

* * *

  
_


	7. Falling Down Water

**Hello my dear readers! Hope you've all had a good week. **

**Not got an awful lot to say today, except DRINK SENSIBLY if you're old enough to do so, and if you're not drink sensibly and secretly at someone's house. **

**If you're a university/college student however, I encourage you all to do what I did the other night, which was steal lots of roadworks signs, fall over repeatedly, drink 20 shots, order a kebab at three in the morning and sing christmas carols with a lot of other people – especially the 12 days of Christmas. Your liver WILL recover.  
**

**.**

**

* * *

  
**

"Shh..." James pulled Hermione under the invisibility cloak and led her out of the Gryffindor common room, down the passage behind the one-eyed-witch and into the Honeydukes cellar. "Stay here until the rest come, and then we'll be off."

"Okay." Hermione whispered tensely, and James patted her hand. She was so scared they were going to get caught – It was meant to be a party, the marauders plus Lily, Hermione, Harry and Ron; a Christmas-come-welcome celebration for the time-travellers. She nodded in agreement anyway, much to James' pleasure, and stood in a darkened corner, taking a care not to ruin her carefully chosen-by-Lily outfit. She wasn't exactly comfortable in it, either; it included a silky black skirt that floated around her knees and a shimmery black vest with silver flowers, complimented with black beaded flats and silver clips in her curly hair. She felt distinctly out of her depth.

"Hermione?" Harry muttered, and pulled off his own invisibility cloak to reveal himself and Ron. "Hey, you look good." He eyed her, and nodded his approval.

"Whoa, Hermione..." Ron breathed, but earned an elbow in the rib from Harry, and a very pointed look. "What? I was just saying..."

"Yes, I know what you were saying Ronald." Hermione chided, swatting her friend's arm for effect. "Sirius!" she whispered happily, waving down the dark-haired teen with a bright smile. "Harry and Ron are already here – is James getting Lily and Remus?"

"Yeah – I think he'll probably get them to come together, considering Lily's such a little thing..." Sirius measured out a small distance with his fingers. "Alright, mate?" Sirius shook hands with Harry and Ron as Hermione waited at the foot of the stairs for Remus and Lily to appear. She was nervous, and she couldn't quite remember _how _ she had been persuaded into doing this.

"Mya, do us all a favour and _relax_, will you?" Sirius moaned, slinging an arm around her shoulders with more force than was strictly necessary. "I saw Reggie." He said softly in her ear, and for the dark she couldn't tell if he was smiling. "I think you might be right, Mya. I don't think he buys it anymore – I don't know if he ever did."

"That's good, Sirius. Maybe that's another person we can save." She felt him nod, and jumped a little as scuffling and tumbling could be heard.

"Ow!" Lily muttered, untangling herself from her boyfriend and Remus, who in turn was dusting himself off and looking around the dark room. Lily held her hands out in front of her and stopped when she found Hermione's shoulder, taking her hand for support in the dark. "I'm not so sure this is a good idea anymore." She admitted to Hermione, her hands sweaty with nerves. "What if we get caught?"

"My two lovely ladies, will you chill out? We're too good to get caught." Sirius laughed into the darkness.

"He's right." Remus' voice echoed across the cellar. "Now, are we just going to stay here and chat, or are we going for a drink?"

"Drink!" James said, and a wand beam lit the way up the stairs. Harry and Ron, followed by Sirius, made their way up first, James leading them up with his wand. He then gestured for Hermione and Remus to go – she watched the steps carefully and was grateful for the large hands on her waist that kept her steady. Once in the shop, Remus pulled her close and dodged the magical beam that served as an alarm, and the two escaped onto the street.

Hermione felt her nerves subside a little as Remus continued to hold her in the cold of the street. As she shivered he rand his hands up and down her arms before wrapping his heavy cloak around the both of them

"I forgot a jacket." Hermione moaned into his chest. "How could I be so stupid? It's winter, for goodness' sakes...oh! I completely forgot!" She pulled her wand from a small handbag and cast a warming charm.

"There you go, taking the fun out of it all. I was supposed to give you my cloak and be a gentleman." Remus prodded her gently in the side.

"Maybe next time."

Remus felt his heart flutter. "There's a next time?"

"There might be." Hermione blushed, head dipped as she bit her lip. "There just might be." Her eyes flicked upwards to meet his.

They were at a junction again, they were at that boundary of sealing the promise; bodies moving of their own accord, faces closer, breathing shallower, hearts racing. Barely inches, barely centimetres, barely millimetres separated them.

"Oi!" Ron shouted, frowning as the two stammered apologies, bright red in the face. "Come on, Hermione, maybe you should walk with me." Ron glared at Remus forcefully, and the werewolf glared back just as strongly. Harry, appearing from the shop moments later, looked at his two best friends and Remus, and then placed a hand on Ron's shoulder, turning him away.

"I think I'll walk with her." Harry said finally, much to Hermione's displeasure.

"I think I can choose whom I walk with, Mr Potter." She snapped under her breath, glowering at the two. "I'm capable of making decisions, thank you very much."

"Not now, Hermione." Harry hissed, taking a few steps towards her and taking her by the elbow. "You know, for a smart witch you're more blind to the feelings of other people than I am." He pulled her down towards the pub, following the others once Sirius had come through. Ron and Remus were walking close together, having a heated conversation about something Hermione couldn't quite catch.

"What do you mean?"

"Ron, Hermione! He's in love with you, he's damn well said it, and for all it's worth I think Lupin probably is as too; or had you not noticed that?"

"Yes I'd noticed, Harry." she hissed, pulling her arm back. "And until this whole fiasco started I though I felt the same way about Ronald; but things change Harry, and unless Ron decides to come out and say it to me I'm going to act like I don't know about it. He seems to think it's common knowledge but he's never thought to tell me anything, not in the two or three years I _know_ he's fancied me. He doesn't own me and cannot presume to tell me who I can and cannot like, like he did with Krum and even you."

"Whoa, Hermione, calm down. I know what you're saying, I understand your reasoning, but I still think you should make it clear that you don't like him like that. You, er, _don't_ like him like that, do you?" Harry started to look distinctly awkward at the idea.

"Not any more, Harry. I _did,_ but I can't pinpoint when it changed."

"Good." He looked relieved. "It'd be a bit weird, you two being together, and me out on my own. We'd not be us, would we?"

"No." Hermione said quietly, glancing back at the two boys that had been joined by Sirius who was looking faintly annoyed. "I suppose you're right." Remus looked directly at her in that moment, eyes blazing, and her heart skipped a beat. They seemed to glow in the light of the street lamps like an animal's, shining and reflecting the light here and there, and it made Hermione both excited and nervous. Tearing her eyes away she entered the three broomsticks, looked for Lily and James in the busy Friday night crowd, and sat at the large table next to them in one of the booths. Remus, quick as a flash, found a seat next to her on her left hand side, so she did not have to sit between Harry and Ron and had decidedly better company for talking.

"Right then, what's everyone drinking? If it's not alcoholic, I'm not getting it for you." Sirius announced, standing at the end of the table.

"Lager."

"Lager."

"Lager."

"Lager." Remus, Ron, Harry and James all raised their hands and Sirius took mental note of the order.

"Mya, Lily? What am I getting you?"

"Uh, what are you having, Lily?" Hermione looked awkwardly at the girl next to her, and Sirius sighed.

"What muggle drinks do you usually have, Mya?"

"I, um, I don't usually drink all that much. The last time I drank was at a wedding. So I suppose white wine, maybe something like a vodka mixer?" Sirius just smiled, as did Remus and Lily.

"Don't worry about that, Mya, Remus and Lily aren't massive drinkers either, so they'll make sure I don't get you too drunk. I know what I'll get you, I think you'll like it – It's a bit of a white wine cocktail. Lily, are you on the vodka fizz?"

"You know me too well, Black." Lily replied but smiled and nodded. As he sauntered up to the bar and the three boys (minus Remus) began to talk Quidditch, Hermione leaned in to Lily and whispered in her ear.

"Truth is, I don't think they'll sell what I drink. Ever heard of Fosters?" Lily smirked and Remus covered a snort with a hacking cough. "What was that, Remus?"

"Nothing, nothing." He said innocently, but dodged Hermione's well-aimed poke. "Woman, you have _nails_, they're lethal when you poke me."

"Don't you laugh at my choice of alcohol then, Mr Lupin." She said playfully.

"You don't even drink the good stuff though – you need to learn to appreciate a good pint of Guinness." Hermione pulled a face, and Remus laughed. "Too much of a man's drink for you?"

"Right, next round, I'm going to down a pint in record time. I used to do it with my dad and I'm quite good at it." Hermione sniffed, inspecting her nails.

"Just have to be the best at everything, don't you, Hermione?" He teased, and she bit her lip in the way that made his stomach clench.

"Oi!" Sirius floated pint glasses, wine glasses and two bottles, along with a chain of shot glasses. Each drink sailed to it's respective consumer and Hermione took a sip of her own, dark red at the bottom of the glass bleeding into gold. It was slightly sweet and fizzy, with a dry kick from the white wine as she sipped through a straw. "Good for you, Mya?"

"Perfect." Hermione raised her glass to Sirius who was sat next to Harry and Ron. She eyed the bottle of bright blue liquid in the centre of the table, and then the shot glass that sat in front of her. She picked up the little glass with a curious expression, and jumped as a spark came off it – she then felt a tug of magic as her name became engraved on the glass. The others had done this too -and to most of them it seemed like they knew what was going on – Ron, James, Remus and Sirius. Lily looked a little confused, as did Harry, so Hermione voiced the question that was hovering above them.

"So what is his, exactly?" She threw the shot glass in the air and caught it again, before setting it down.

"That, my dear Mya, is a shot glass. Most here will know what's going on, but for those who don't..." He waved his wand at the bottle and it magically opened, pouring a shot of the alcohol into each glass. As the bottle passed her she looked at the label and groaned; it read _Ogden's Blue Aftershock – Spin the Bottle game for the adult Witch and Wizard. (Comes without the hazardous flames of Firewhisky, but all the strength.)_

"Oh Merlin, what have I got myself into?" She muttered, putting her head in her hands.

"It's fun, believe me." Remus winked at her, and she shook her head with a smile. Whilst Ron and Harry were distracted by the Quidditch talk with Sirius, and James and Lily speaking quietly, Remus casually slipped an arm around Hermione's waist and pulled her closer on the cushioned seat. She laughed and kicked him playfully under the table. "See, told you this would be fun." He said close to her ear, and she shivered as the heat of his breath touched her neck.

"You did." She returned the favour, and his fingers dug a little hard into her side.

"Don't do that." He nearly growled.

"Oh, I'm sorry..." She moved away from him a little, put out by the verbal push away he'd given her. Instead of letting her, Remus took a swig of his beer and did something a little unexpected – he pulled her hair off her neck and kissed it sensuously.

"I meant _don't,_ because you've no idea what that's making me feel. I'm quite...sensitive..." And Hermione understood.

"Oh!" She blushed violently, red staining her cheeks and her neck and creeping onto her chest. "Maybe I should sit with Harry and Ron..."

"No! Merlin no, not now I know how he feels about you."

"Remus, I don't feel that way about Ron, not anymore..." She hesitated a little in telling him, wondering if he would blame her for not calling Ron out on his obvious advances.

"Yeah, I know that, and everyone else knows that – Ron knows that too, but he's just a bit protective over you."

"He does?" Hermione was shocked – more than shocked, but before Remus had the chance to reply Sirius cleared his throat and clapped his hands together to command the attention of the small group.

"I think we're ready to play, yes? Now, the rules are simple for those who haven't had the pleasure of playing before: truth, dare, or shot. If the person chooses shot, they must re-fill their shot glass and face a double dare the next go which cannot be escaped – the glass will burn. A person may also take a shot if they do not wish to tell a truth or do the set dare, but face the same consequence. Does everyone get it?" Each person nodded, and Sirius pointed to Hermione. "You get to spin first."

The bottle magically opened itself and floated to pour each person a shot of the bright drink, and set itself down again waiting to be spun. With some trepidation, Hermione reached over and spun the bottle. It was watched intently until it landed on Lily.

"Truth." She announced, looking at Hermione with pleading eyes.

Hermione thought for a moment, and then grinned."Are you a virgin?" Lily glared, but rolled her eyes, and Harry looked disturbingly pale.

"No." Sirius let out a whoop, making the table laugh, including Harry, though Hermione noticed that he had turned a delicate shade of green.

"Jamesie finally got some... and Harry looks like he's going to be sick. Nice one" James punched his friend in the arm after realising the implications of the statement on Harry, and sent the boy an apologetic look. "Lil, you spin." This time the bottle landed on Sirius.

"Dare."

"I dare you… to go snog Rosie, the barmaid." Sirius stood, smirking.

"With pleasure." The group turned round and watched with anticipation as he pulled the young maid into a fiery kiss, and then he walked up to the table, head held high. Hermione began clapping, as did the rest, and he spun the bottle, watching as it landed on Remus.

"Truth."

"How many girlfriends have you had?" Remus went red and took a shot instead, a small chorus of 'oooohs' echoing around the table. He spun the bottle, still shamefaced, and it landed on Hermione.

She took a sip of her drink, which was on its last legs. "Truth."

"Have you ever been so blindingly drunk that you ended up snogging a random person and falling asleep at the toilet?"

"No!" She looked appalled at the idea, except that Harry and Ron were coughing pointedly at her glass, which was bright red.

"Mya, Mya, Mya!" Sirius tutted. "Down the shot, then the truth, if you will."

Hermione eyed the liquid with narrowed eyes, before sighing and downing it in a quick shot. "Sirius, go buy Remus and I a pint, then I'll say. Or rather, Harry will say, because I can't quite remember."

"Fair, Mya." Sirius smirked, and ordered the drinks. Once they were in front of her and the werewolf sat next to her, everyone looked at Harry expectantly.

"It was at Ron's brother's wedding. Hermione had been spiked all night by two more of his older brothers without realising, and by the time she did... Well, when I found her, she was trying to accost one of the Groomsmen and I had to carry her to bed under the pretence that she had fallen asleep. Ginny, Ron's youngest sister, found her in the bathroom the morning white as a sheet and shaking." Ron had his fist in his mouth and his shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter as he remembered the incident.

Hermione had flushed darkly, and Remus' arm had tightened significantly around her waist, though it seemed that no-one found the story that funny. It was only funny to those who knew her, purely because it was _her_, bookworm extraordinaire. The Marauders and Lily didn't know this as fully.

"You could accost me any time." Remus whispered in her ear whilst Sirius took another order of drinks and Harry, shortly followed by Ron, departed to get to the toilets whilst they could.

"I don't believe I've had enough to drink for that kind of talk, Mr. Lupin." Hermione said primly, though there was a slight edge to her voice where her nerves kicked in.

Remus raised an eyebrow but said nothing, taking a sip from his pint as he watched Hermione test the beer. Deciding it was suitable for the coming competition, she turned on the bench to face Remus.

"Cheers." She clinked her glass to his, and the two tipped their heads back, downing the pints simultaneously.

"Go, Hermione!" Ron called as they returned to the table, cheering her on with Lily and Harry, whilst Remus had James and Sirius to back him up. "Down it, down it, down it!" They chanted, and Lily cheered the loudest as Hermione slammed her glass down, empty, on the table five seconds before Remus did.

"For that win, Hermione gets immunity from the next two rounds!" James called. The game continued, ridiculous dares occurred, embarassing truths (Ron's "So you...and my sister... you _shagged_...I am now going to kill you!" and Harry's half amused, half scared laughter when he called "You asked!" From the bar.)

After her double immunity when the bottle had landed on her, Hermione spun the bottle, and it landed on Remus, again, after avoiding him for close to an hour.

"That's not fair, Hermione you aren't doing the dare!" James protested. "Ok, Moony, you can't get out of this and you know it! I dare you to snog Hermione."

Hermione choked on her drink and stared wide-eyed at James. "Isn't that taking it a little too far, James?" she spluttered, once she remembered how to speak; or at least, attempted to speak with far too much alcohol in her system

"Yeah, none of us want to see that, really..." Ron stuttered, looking decidedly uneasy.

"What?" James looked outraged. "You're all traitors. Do the dare, Moony, old boy."

"Hermione?" Remus said quietly as Ron and Harry continued their cries of outrage at the thought of seeing their best friend engaged in more-than-friendly activities. "We don't have to stay. We can go if you'd like."

"I would like, thank you." She said...rather, she slurred, making her jump. She wasn't that drunk, was she?

"Guys, we're making a move. Game over for us – I'll disillusion us when we get to Honeydukes."

Dissapointed goodbyes were called out, and Ron desperately tried to convince her to stay. However, she shook her head, and with a promise that she would simply go to sleep and not drink any more (or go to Remus' room, or sit with Remus, or even _touch_ Remus more than she had to...) except a large glass of water.

Rather magnificently, Hermione thought, they managed to get to the door and outside into the cold without falling over anything. The fresh air made Hermione's head spin, and she grabbed on to the marauder beside her for support.

"I might be a little drunk." she muttered, looking up at the boy with a glare. "It's entirely your fault."

"My fault! That's nice!" Remus huffed, but put an arm around Hermione's waist to keep her steady. "I blame Padfoot."

"I changed my mind. I blame Sirius too." Hermione took a hesitant step forward, removing Remus' hand from her waist. "I want to see how drunk I am." She took more experimental steps and gave a triumphant shout. "I can walk just fine!"

"Really? I do believe you managed to walk a circle in three steps. Impressive." Remus teased, coming to stand behind her with his hands on her shoulders.

"I can walk...I just need help with the navigational side of things." She admitted, tipping her head back to look up at Remus. "That's where you come in, Mr Lupin."

"I see. User." Remus' arms slipped lower, slowly, to her hips, and Hermione closed her eyes, leaning into the intimate hold he had on her. "Hermione, open your eyes." He commanded softly, and she looked up, before gasping. Snow.

"Oh, it's lovely..." The white flakes drifted past the street lamps, glowing before falling out of the light of the beam and resting on the floor. She smiled, turning around in Remus' arms. "My warming charm wore off and I'm not performing magic under the influence!"

"Is that a hint, Hermione?" Remus blinked and twitched his nose as a snowflake landed on it. On impulse alone (and the alcoholic push) the girl raised herself onto the balls of her feet and kissed the snowflake away, and laughed brightly as she twirled off into the snow as it fell. Her movements were halted and unsteady but her feet moved lightly across the cobbles as she danced, and Remus watched on with a serene smile as her hair flew about her, catching the snow.

Giddily she returned to him, and breathlessly she whispered. "Dance with me." in Remus' ear. It was innocently meant...but oh, what it was doing to Remus!

"Hermione..." He warned as her fingers trailed down his neck. "Hermione, please..." He gulped and his eyes fluttered closed involuntarily as her cool digits traced the neck of his shirt and moved to the other side of his neck.

"Dance with me." Her breath in his ear, her fingers on his skin, her lips tantalisingly close to his own. The sensitive places around his ears on fire, even though she had no idea she was doing it. And she kept on doing it, continuing the touches with a small smile.

"Damn it, Hermione." He moaned and pulled her flat against him, breathing hard into her hair as his body..._all_ parts of his body, reacted to her touch. "Do realise now? Do you understand?" his voice was tight as she nodded against his chest.

"Yes; but Remus, why should that make me stop?" Her voice was less innocent now, and she pressed her lips to his neck, her body brushing against his as she stood on the balls of her feet, her hands caressing the back of his neck gently.

"Merlin, help me." Remus muttered under his breath before he placed his hand under Hermione's chin, and turned her head to kiss her on the lips with hesitant, soft movements, and her lips moved against his hypnotically.

Hermione sighed and allowed herself to relax fully, running her fingers through the werewolf's fine hair as they kissed slowly, sensuously, and in a way Hermione had never been kissed before. Remus' hands held her close, resting possessively on her hips, and his lips were soft and warm, and the occasional flick of his tongue made her knees go weak. It ended all too soon, however, and the two students stood in the centre of Hogsmead, smiling at each other as the snow fell around them before leaning in to kiss once again.

.

* * *

"Moony!" Sirius shouted as he left the Three Broomsticks with the rest of his party, pointing at his best friend and the time traveller as they kissed. Lily smiled and held hands with James, squeezing. James chuckled as he eyed Ron, who was close to purple, and Harry who wore a bemused expression as he held his best friend's arms tightly behind his back.

"Ron, give in." Harry said, and waited as Ron ceased to struggle.

"I won't kill him. We talked, and I know she doesn't like me like that." Ron sighed, shaking his head. "I know he's better for her than I am. Doesn't mean I'm going to like it though." He said dryly, glancing at Harry.

"I..." Sirius declared, staggering somewhat as he pulled apart Hermione and Remus, both laughing at him, "Think you're far too sober. TO THE KITCHENS!" He held his bottle of butterbeer like a sword, and with many giggles those who where sober enough walked, and those who weren't staggered and crawled up the passage through Honeydukes. Harry and Ron took their leave and with one last wistfull look from Ron, they slipped down their respective corridors and into the shadows.

"Shhh… we must be quiet like little mouses!" Sirius advised. Hermione giggled as James somehow fell onto his knees, and sat on the floor next to Sirius, both laughing.

"No, no, Shhh…" Remus said to him, helping him up. The two drunkest marauders stumbled towards the kitchens and managed to coax the house Elf's out of a fair few bottles of wine.

"We promise we'll be good." Hermione promised, and the house elf who gave them the wine slipped the witch a small bag.

"Miss will mix one spoon of this with a glass of water and down in one. It is Binky's cure for students who like their drinks strong, miss." The elf curtseyed and Hermione smiled.

"Thank you, Binky."

.

* * *

""Falling down water." Hermione stated, looking at their slowly diminishing supply of 20 bottles of wine (some still shrunken), her eyes crossing slightly as the bottle in front of her blurred. "That's what this is. Falling down water."

"I agree. Does a funny thing to your head…makes you see turtles…" Lily giggled, and pointed in the direction of some of the christmas decorations, pretending to wave a wand at them dramatically.

Hermione looked at her in horror "Not the pink banana turtles! And the purple cheese monkeys?"

"And the purple cheese monkeys!" She confirmed.

"At least we don't have to face the lime llamas." Hermione commented between a few healthy swigs of her bottle of wine. Remus, Sirius and James were all sat by the fire chugging a bottle of wine each in record time, and Hermione watched with interest as Remus promptly fell sideways after finishing his bottle.

"Can't hold his drink, that one." Hermione observed, but found that she couldn't stand properly to get to the man on the floor.

"Issue there." Lily told her, and Hermione nodded. "Chug a bottle?" She enlarged two bottles, opened them, and handed one to Hermione with a bright grin.

"You're on."

They sat in the common room drinking and laughing for no particular reason, and Hermione realised she'd reached a new height of drunkenness that was highly amusing... or it seemed it, until the world started spinning, her hands and teeth became numb. It became infinately less amusing when Lily threw up after being helped to the boys' bathroom by Hermione, who promptly followed suit. The last thing she saw was Remus hanging half over a sink before she collapsed.


	8. Christmas Spirit

**Hello all!  
Well, another chapter appears! Sorry it's so late, but I've had so much work last week to do at uni, and Christmas shopping now I'm home. I must say, it's great to be back in Yorkshite...I mean Yorkshire. I love it, honestly I do...I didn't quite realise how much till now!**

**Yes, hangovers are this bad, if you drink as much as I calculated the poor characters did. Roughly 3 bottles of wine, and average 5 mixer/pint/glass of wine drinks, and then shots of around 45% of (at a guestimate considering I didn't write it) between 3 and 6 each. If you work that out in units... (which I'm about to...tickticktick...) something like 20 units o.O. **

**Oh, and Christmas day 1977, there was a full moon that night. I looked :D**

**Happy Christmas everyone, and hope you had a wonderful day :) Have a good NYE too, do have a pint or three on my behalf! Reviews make good belated presents :P  
**

**.  
**

**

* * *

**

.

Hermione opened her eyes blearily, and then wished she hadn't. The bathroom was far too white and her head was ringing; not only that, but she was sat over one of the toilets and the room span distinctly. She groaned, momentarily collapsing into a boneless heap on the floor before flinging herself over the bowl again, her stomach heaving.

"What in Merlin's name did I drink for?" She mumbled, rocking backwards and forwards slightly to try and ease the clenching of her stomach, and relaxed back onto the cool tiles of the separating wall to take in her surroundings.

She, Lily and Remus seemed to have all landed in the boy's bathroom, (it had to be the boy's bathroom, she reasoned, considering there was a boy _there_ and the girls staircase sent anyone flying down them) and each person seemed to be draped over a different piece of the bathroom suite. Lily, Hermione noted, was curled up in the bath with a pillow in her arms. Shakily, Hermione stood and shuffled to the bath; and sitting on the edge of it she called Lily's name, shaking her as hard as she dared until the girl woke from her deep, alcohol-induced slumber.

"Give me a hand, 'Mione." Lily gestured and Hermione pulled her out of the bath. Her friend nodded at her, wobbled, and then threw herself at one of the toilet cubicles "Oh my god…" She moaned, leaning on the wall. Her red hair was matted and her make-up smeared around her eyes. "'Mione, you're a mess." She commented as she slid on her behind from one cubicle to another as the toilet flushed.

"You too." Lily reached over and partially removed some of Hermione's make-up, and she attempted to return the favour. "My fingers are numb." She grumbled, shaking her hands to try and ease the tingling.

"I feel like death..." Lily scrunched her face up. "I... um.... yeah, bed. Get Remus up and then meet me in our room. I need to mix a hangover potion."

"Hang on." Hermione rummaged around and pulled a small leather pouch out of her bra. "House elf gave it to me last night... before the wine."

"_Everything_ was before the wine. We shall never talk about the wine again." Lily shivered before hauling herself up. "I'll make you some, too." Lily nodded at Hermione before leaving, quite obviously using the wall for support.

"Get up…" She poked him lightly, and his amber eyes opened slowly, then shut automatically.

"Ow." Hermione took his hand and helped him to stand, and his eyes opened halfway once again to look at her. "Sick?" He shook his head, but swayed unsteadily.

"I need a hangover potion and some chocolate." He ran his tongue over his teeth and lips, and Hermione smiled as he pulled a face. "Dry-mouth." He said by way of explanation.

"Come on...can you make it down the stairs?" Remus nodded and put his arm around her waist as if to support himself, and Hermione did the same as they walked slowly down the stairs to the common room, pausing only to quickly change into comfortable clothes and clean themselves up a little. Lily offered Hermione the pouch of hangover cure and she took it, slipping it into the pocket of her dressing gown.

Hermione closed her eyes briefly against the bright winter sunlight. Luckily, the common room was empty save for James and Sirius who waved tiredly as they leaned onto each other, steaming mugs of coffee in hand. After being offered and taking a cup, Hermione walked to the sofa and curled up in a corner of it, sighing and closing her eyes tiredly as she nursed the hot beverage. Another body weighted the other end, and she opened her eyes to see Remus doing the same. Hermione turned herself around, resting her legs over his longer ones.

"I feel horrible." She said, rubbing her eyes.

"You look it." He said, partially joking. "And for the record, this is Sirius' fault, not mine."

"I agree." She said. They sat in silence for a while, and heard the others talking quietly as James and Sirius bickered over whose fault it was that they were all hungover.

"You cold?" Remus asked as Hermione shivered, though the fire was quite warm.

"A little." She admitted, and without a second thought Remus took her mug off her, placed it by his own on the coffee table and drew her closer.

"Better?" He said with a teasing smile. "Better than a warming charm?" His gentle flirting made Hermione smile and she leaned her head on his shoulder, allowing his hands to stroke her hair and her back in soothing motions.

"Much, thank you." Her eyes drifted closed and she relaxed fully, letting the natural sounds and smells of all that was Remus lull her, her hangover becoming seemingly less important. "I don't regret it, you know." She mumbled as Lily came downstairs, striking up a quiet conversation with James and Sirius.

Remus felt his heart skip a beat, and he pushed a few curls out of the way of her face, staring into her eyes as they fluttered open, her dark lashes still covering most of her eyes. "Hermione…" he said softly, and licked his lips nervously before drawing her face up to meet his is a slow, gentle kiss.

"Where do you want this to go?" He asked seriously as they parted, still cuddled together for comfort as well as the want to be close. Hermione's fingers ran over his face as if she were attempting to learn the exact feel and shape of his features, and he kissed her finger as it passed over his lips. Her eyes met his, and they sparkled as she smiled up at him; her hand found his and she wound their fingers together, squeezing.

"Wherever it takes us. To the end of the earth, to the end of time, whatever it may be." Remus grinned and kissed her forehead, his arm a little tighter around her as they relaxed once again.

"Were you ever in love with him?" Remus asked, and then winced at his bluntness.

"Yes, there's no denying it, of course." Hermione said thoughtfully, a finger tapping against her lip. "I spent much of my 6th year pursuing him, though he never noticed my attentions. Over the summer, well you heard the story of me at the wedding; that was some sort of re-bound I suppose." She shrugged as he sniggered at the memory. "I had to get over him... and so I did, though most of September and October I could barely talk to him as I used to, trust him as I used to. I think he realised that, and he understands that there's no going back; I saw it in his eyes last night when we..." She left the sentence hanging. "That doesn't change how he feels about me, though occasionally he's had strange ways of showing it, but I hope that time changes that."

Remus hadn't expected her to reply, and so was surprised at the depth she went into in her explanation; it was quiet and thoughtful, and conveyed the feelings of the two succinctly but yet with enough background and emotion that it made clear and undeniable. Hermione Granger was not a belonging of Ronald Weasley any longer, and to Remus' wolf, that meant fair game.

.

* * *

"We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas, and a happy New Year!" Sirius sang, opening the curtains to the boy's dormitory at the bright and early hour of eight in the morning on Christmas day.

"Bugger off, Padfoot." James lobbed a pillow at Sirius, whilst Remus sat up, rubbing his eyes tiredly. A full moon was drawing close – that evening in fact – and he could feel the weight of it on his body. "Moony, you holding it together enough to go down to at least the common room?"

Remus nodded, though he was exhausted and his muscles ached. It would be worth it just to see Hermione, and a part of him wished to fuss over him before he left for the night. A knock at the door shook him from his thoughts, and he checked that his friends were in a reasonable state of dress before shouting for them to enter. Lily's flaming hair poked around the door frame, her face alight.

"Presents are under the tree in the common room, as per your request to the house elves. Get up and come down; there's breakfast too. Happy Christmas!" She waved a hand and shut the door again, and James sighed with a contented smile.

"I love that woman, I really do."

"That's lovely, but I'd like food and presents!" Sirius bounced on his bed for effect. "Wonder if mother dearest sends me anything this year?" Sirius pondered as he pulled on his dressing gown and waited for his friends to follow Lily down.

Remus smiled briefly as he spotted Hermione sitting by the fire, her hair pulled back from her face in a loose pony tail, pouring over a book on potions that she had received, the pages of heavy parchment rustling as she flipped from one to the next. Coming to sit next to her, she turned to give him a quick kiss before running her fingers through his bed-head hair in an attempt to neaten it. Giving up, she sighed and messed it up completely so that strands fell everywhere, including in front of his eyes.

"Charming." He wrapped his arms around her and looked at the Christmas tree, before drawing his wand from the pocket of his dressing gown and summoning his presents to him. Hermione repeated the action as other students stumbled downstairs, looked at the Marauders and the two girls, before heading to breakfast happily chattering.

"Here you go – toast, porridge, and there's some juice near Sirius and James." Lily placed a small stack of toast and two bowls of porridge next to them. "Ooh, roast Chestnuts! Anyone want any? They're still warm." Lily spotted the pile of darkening Chestnuts that sat on a metal plate in the fire and put her hand in, the magical fire not burning her skin. Hermione gave Remus another of her bright smiles as she crawled over to the fire and gathered some of the Chestnuts for herself and sat with her back to the fire as she watched Remus happily unwrapping presents, looking at each in fascination for only seconds before moving on to the next.

"Did you even sleep last night, child?" Hermione teased lowly, rolling her eyes as Remus shook his head ruefully, his eyes widening so adorably that Hermione moved from her position to where Remus sat, kissing him on the forehead, on the nose, and finally on the lips.

"Mya, you do have presents to open, you know, and thank you profoundly for the helmet. How did you know?" Sirius called as Remus threw a present at him, eyes narrowed. Hermione raised an eyebrow that suggested 'how do you think I know?' and Sirius smirked, winking at the girl. Remus launched another present, glowering. "Hey, give in Moony. Don't get all PWT on me."

"PWT?" Hermione questioned, drawing a small pile of gifts to her, examining each one carefully before picking up the smallest first, reading the tag.

"Pre-Werewolf-Tension." Remus replied with a wicked grin. "Grouchy, tired, prone to aggression..." The werewolf then bent his head so that his lips brushed her ear, whispering so that only his Hermione could hear the words. "Heightened sexual urges..."

"Remus!" Hermione pushed him away, blushing. "Here's your present..." She mumbled, drawing a small package out of her pocket before standing and running up the stairs to the girls dormitory, still bright red.

"Might not have been the best time to admit the last part of that." Sirius said thoughtfully, and earned a slap over the back of the head from Lily before she went to calm her friend down.

Remus sighed, hitting his head on the coffee table close by repeatedly, only stopping when James placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Moony, she knows what you go through. I think she's probably just a little shocked that you want to shag her. I don't think she's ever, y'know, had that sort of attention from someone before."

"I suppose." Remus put a hand over his friend's. "Thanks Prongs. Do you think she'll still want..."

"Remus, shut up. Now you're talking bollocks." Remus smirked and hauled himself up, giving James a brotherly hug before eying his present. Flopping down onto the settee before his aching muscles decided to give out on him, he turned Hermione's present over in his hands before carefully tearing open the paper. With a small smile Remus revealed a heavy leather diary with a large golden plate on the front of it, his name engraved in a beautiful calligraphic hand. As he flipped through the leaves of the diary, a small scrap of parchment fluttered out into the air and landed in his lap.

_Remus_

_We all have our secrets, and since your old diary's not so good for secrets any more, I thought you'd appreciate something only you can see; that is, if you want me to perform the Fidelius Charm on it. If not, you can do all the usual spells and I won't be insulted at all – it was just an idea._

_Love, Hermione_

Remus smiled and tucked the diary into his dressing gown pocket and walked up the stairs, going to collect Hermione's present – it was uncanny. He reached into his trunk and drew out an intricately wrapped package, of similar size and shape to his own gift, with curled ribbons and bows on the gold paper.

He had every intention of returning to the common room; but then the cramps began, starting in his shoulders and spreading through the rest of his body. With a muffled yell as his jaw clenched, the two presents he held fell to the floor with a soft thud and he fell back onto his bed. Remus saw stars as the edges of his vision seemed to brighten and darken, and he began to sweat as he fought off the tremors _and_ the desperate need to let the darkness take him. He faintly heard the knock at the door and then the concerned female voice, but it was the touch of cool fingers on his forehead and the warmth of another body next to him that broke the fog of the pre-transformation pain.

"Hermione?" Remus croaked, and watched as she nodded whilst pulling the covers up around them, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Shh, I'm here, sleep." She muttered into his ear, her hand still stroking his forehead when a particularly bad cramp took him.

"I'm sorry...Inappropriate...blame Moony..." His teeth chattered as he spoke but he managed his best wolfish grin at her.

"Forgiven and forgotten, now rest before you do yourself an injury." She scolded, tapping his nose like he was a naughty puppy. Feeling suitably shamed, Remus rolled onto his side with an effort, so he could look at his witch. She was smiling at him tenderly, concern in her eyes, but she didn't pity him. With her close, the pain eased, and his muscles relaxed far more easily than the potions ever did; for more than a brief moment the pain disappeared completely.

"I'm fine, now that you're close." Remus pressed a kiss to her lips and she smiled, one hand under his cheek and the other resting on his hip in a protective gesture he was completely unused to.

"I'm going to be here for as long as you want me to be, Remus Lupin, but don't think that I'm going to be easy to get rid of!" She rubbed her nose against his in a childish Eskimo kiss, and shrieked as he rolled onto his back, taking her with him.

"You're not going anywhere."

.

* * *

Hermione looked over the parchment again, checking that the work was right before handing it back to Ron with a pleased smile. She'd never noticed how good he was at Charms as she seemed to spend most of that lesson trying to ensure Neville didn't blow something up, or singe off his eyebrows again; but it was quite clearly his best subject now that she had the time to notice. She, however, was working on her potions essay for Slughorn, which wasn't the easiest piece she'd ever written but certainly not as hard as the theory needed for Arithmancy or Transfiguration. Their lessons were the hardest they had ever been, drilling into the students heads dates and figures, charms, herbs, poisons and potions… Hermione felt sure her head was going to cave in from the pressure. Every spare moment the 7th year students had, it was spent in the library.

Peter had returned from the Christmas break the day before term began, and at first Hermione had work hard not to recoil from him, but after only one or two conversations she found that this boy was nothing like the man she had encountered – he was sweet and charming when he wanted to be, but painfully shy. She often found herself sat with him and Remus as they worked together in the library, and she was often reminded of Neville Longbottom as they spoke. Hermione believed truly that this boy had yet to throw his lot in with Voldemort, and had seen both his forearms enough times to know that the Dark Mark wasn't burned onto his pale skin just yet: If she had anything to do with it, he would never take that path.

It was harder for Harry, of course, to speak to the boy, but Ron had found a formidable Chess opponent in Peter, and the small group often spent time in the Room of Requirement playing or watching games whilst revising or working. Both Ron and Hermione were persuading Harry to speak to him, but so far he had yet to have a conversation with him as he still couldn't believe that the future hadn't happened yet. His looks, however, were becoming less disgusted and more curious, so Hermione had high hopes yet.

"Hermione, come and look at this board with me a moment, I need your advice!" Ron called across the room and Hermione looked up from her book, placing it face-down on the chair before examining the board over Ron's shoulder. With a grin she made his move for him, calling "check" on Peter who pouted at her momentarily, before laughing Ron smirked at his best female friend.

"Knew there was a reason I keep you around." Ron pinched her arm lightly, making Hermione blush unintentionally.

"That had better be the only reason, Weasley." Remus growled, and Ron held up his hands hastily as he shuffled away from her.

"Remus, behave." She said tiredly, yawning as she gave Ron a hug and went back to her book, blinking away the tiredness as she scanned the text again.

At that moment, she was reading detailed passages on becoming an Animagus, and was considering the pros and cons of becoming an Animagus. On the one hand: it was a very large rule to break, she would be constantly hiding from the ministry until she chose to disclose it, and the first month or so when learning to transform would be highly painful for her. On the other hand: she would be with Remus, she would have something over on Voldemort, she would have an extended freedom that Sirius once told her about...and she would get to be with Remus.

She studied the book once more, and then reached for the diary only Remus knew existed (they had performed the charm for each other after hunting in the restricted section of the library after hours), copying down the intricate details of the trigger potion, and then the mental preparation and physical exercises necessary to ready her body for the transformation. The decision was in fact a simple one, and she only hoped her body was up to the challenge.

The ingredients, for the most part, were easy enough to find, and she found it was very similar to the polyjuice potion, but was only a trigger. The hardest part was learning to keep the form and holding it for long periods of time until it became second nature. Hermione stared at the notes again, re-considering her decision for a final time before she started the work needed. She was ahead in most of her subjects, and the rest she was well on track with, so time wasn't really an issue until June. It was January, so it left her five months. It was shorter than most Animagi had to learn, but she was a quick study and there was always the summer holidays.

With a nod, she put both books back in her bag and glanced up at Remus; he was watching her intently with his head cocked to one side, as if trying to perform Legillimency. He raised an eyebrow as she met his eyes, and she tapped her nose in response, chin held high.

"Secrets, Mr Lupin, secrets."

.

* * *

Potions was easily one of Hermione's best subject, especially as Snape wasn't teaching (though she had to suffer the fact that he was a natural potions maker and she wasn't, but she knew her theory well enough to challenge him in every way). Slughorn doted on Lily, she noticed with a smirk, which meant that by default he noticed Hermione as the two girls worked together.

"Miss Granger; of the Denby Moor Grangers, I presume?" He said genially as they packed up after one particularly strenuous lesson where two sets of hands and two pairs of eyes were required at all times.

"Ah, no Professor. I'm a muggleborn." Hermione hoped desperately that the muggleborn card would play in this time, though it hadn't in her future.

"No matter, no matter! You're a talented brewer, young lady. Not a natural like Miss Evans here," He paused to beam at Lily who blushed, and continued to clean her cauldron. "But a very strong theory makes up for that!" He clapped Hermione on the shoulder with a laugh. "I confess my ulterior motive in coming to speak to you, for you see I have a sort of...club. The Slug Club, the students have taken to calling it! I would very much like for you to join us my dear, as you are the exact sort of student I like to see and to know; intelligence, talent and strength! Will I see you at our next meeting?"

"I suppose so, Professor." Hermione said meekly, completely unable to turn the smiling and hopeful teacher down.

"Excellent, excellent! Do see to it that she knows the ropes, Miss Evans," As quick as he had come, Slughorn was out of the door when the lunch bell rang.

"I detest that man." Lily growled, dropping her bright smile once Slughorn left. "Continuous muggleborn prejudice veiled by compliments. He just wants to know people he think will go far in the future..."

"I know." Hermione shared a moment of self-pity with Lily before leaving the dungeons, a small sack of ingredients hidden in her bag that she had taken whilst gathering the ones required for the potion that day. She was ready.

"Lily, why are we the only two 7th year girls in Gryffindor?" Hermione asked as they entered the dormitory, finally thinking that she was close enough to Lily to ask.

"There were three more. Twin girls and one Asian girl. The twins... they were...well, I didn't know them all that well, but Voldemort's followers attacked their house...no-one survived." Lily's expression was sombre. "Zabeen was taken out of Hogwarts and they've gone into hiding. Her dad is big in India, and Voldemort's been trying to get to him for the money he could provide. We were good friends, so it was hard, but we write when she can get a letter to me through Dumbledore."

"Oh; I'm sorry, Lily." Lily waved a hand, though she sniffed with unshed tears.

"Well, at least we're doing something about it all now. Right, I'm off to get some lunch; do you want anything?"

.

* * *

The diary she used to communicate with Remus had appeared again, though she long since thought she had lost it. She'd found it under the bed next to a dirty sock that disgusted her quite thoroughly. The edges glowed blue as she finished off an essay, and she flipped the pages open to see Remus at the other side of the room, his spidery scrawl appearing on the page.

_My dormitory. 10 minutes._

She nodded, smiled again and stretched, closing her book. She gathered her school things, checking her watch; half past nine. That was reasonable.

"I'm going to get an early night. I've been sleep deprived for days." The mixed group (excluding James, who was on a patrol) all nodded and said goodnight to her, and she walked up the stairs to the rooms, glancing back at Remus who was watching her intently as he often did. She blew him a sneaky kiss and rounded the corner to her room, his eyes creasing at the corner as he pretended to catch the kiss. Whilst she had time, she checked the potion which was under her bed in a small cauldron. Taking out her bag of ingredients she checked her list, and waited a few minutes before opening a small bag with a measure of grated bezoar stone, and stirred it in anti-clockwise four times, clockwise seven, anti-clockwise twice. The liquid thickened and the colour changed from a bright blue to a dark turquoise that looked decidedly unpleasant, and Hermione pushed the greenish liquid under her bed again with a grimace, the bluebell fire underneath it charmed not to show or flicker.

After quickly changing into a vest and shorts, Hermione rummaged around in her trunk and pulled out Harry's invisibility cloak (it was her week, and she had to give it to Ron on Sunday). Throwing it over herself and checking she was completely covered, she tiptoed down the stairs and up the steeper ones to the boys' dormitory, pulling it off at the door. As she closed the door a pair of arms looped around her waist and a mouth began assaulting her neck, removing the cloak from her grasp and throwing it into an open trunk. Hermione twisted to look up into Remus's amber eyes for a moment before pulling his head down for a deep kiss. His hands slid under her vest, caressing her stomach and back, and she slipped one hand under his shirt, running it over his flat stomach whilst the other took its usual place in his hair.

His lips sent fire along her mouth and into her blood, and she desperately clung to him, battling his tongue for dominance. She found herself being pushed back onto his bed, moaning slightly as his mouth travelled down her neck, and she gasped as his hands reached to caress her breast. She undid the buttons of his shirt, splaying her hands across his chest; the skin was littered with small bumpy scars and a smattering of hair in a trail from his stomach to...Hermione blushed as she thought exactly where that led to, but was thoroughly distracted once again as Remus bit her lip as he kissed her. It felt so right, his weight spread across her, letting his eyes bore into her soul. Remus paused, breathing heavily as she moved against him, her eyes widening slightly as she realised exactly how far they had gone together after barely a month together as a couple.

"Too fast?" He muttered, and Hermione nodded, though her eyes were half-lidded and her arms were tight around him.

"It is, for now." She said softly, with a gentle kiss to his neck. "It's alright."

"It is." he relaxed and rolled to pull her next to him, her leg slipping between his. They kissed again, and laid in silence. "What time is it?"

Hermione checked her watch. "Five past ten."

"You should go back to your room. I'll see you in the morning." She leaned over and kissed his lips softly, but he pulled her back down, clearly not wishing for her to leave.

"Remus…" She moaned into his lips. "What happened to me leaving?" He kissed her soundly, and got up, only to pin her underneath him again. Hermione laughed, smiling as his kiss deepened into her mouth, his tongue stroking hers sensuously. He drew the curtains around his bed, pulling off his shirt entirely, and Hermione eyed him, his muscles rippling under his skin, like that of a predators, and he removed his trainers so he lay only in his jeans.

"I decided you're staying right here." He whispered in her ear, kissing just behind it. "Any arguments from Miss Granger, or is Professor Lupin correct in his assumption?"

"He is correct, for once." He grinned at Hermione's tease, and pulled her under the covers, wrapping her tightly in his arms.

.

* * *


	9. Don't Tell Remus!

**Hi! Again, a slow update, and I'm really sorry for that. These few middling chapters are a little dull to write and I don't improve it for myself by excluding days like Valentine's day. I will admit, I'm a valentine's day critic, so I don't usually write it. Think of something suitably cute and fluffy on your own (Pygamy Puff-tastic!).**

**University is getting in the way of my writing at the moment, as well as a fair deal of problems at home. However, I try to make a little time to write when I can, but I am so sorry this chapter's taken a while to grind out – and I don't like it all that much in the end. I hope I'll be able to get them out a little quicker now that things are settling down for a couple of months.**

**Also, this should have been up this weekend, but has been down and I've been unable to log on, which has been VERY irritating. As it is, I'm now uploading the day before my 19th birthday when I'm getting ready to go out. ARGH.  
**

**Read, review, enjoy!**

**.**

**

* * *

  
**

"Mfff…" Hermione stretched, and curled back up again in the warmth of Remus's chest. The light signalled that it was time to get up, as much as she didn't wish to. She placed a soft kiss on the sleeping boy's cheek, burying her face in his neck as he stirred and reacted to her closeness.

"Morning." He said, running his fingers up her spine, making her shiver. "Cold?" he asked, and she nodded, hiding under the covers. "Are you going to get up?"

"No." She said childishly, making him laugh. "And you will not feed me that wake up water."

"I wasn't going to." He shuffled down so he was looking into her face, and kissed her soundly.

"Good." She murmured against his lips, placing a hand on his chest and one around his neck. "You know, it's Saturday, we don't need to be up for anything."

"Then why are we awake?" Remus groaned, sinking further into the bed with the covers pulled over his head. Hermione shrieked as his fingers began to move rapidly across her skin, and then he was tickling her mercilessly whilst dodging her flailing legs.

"I'm going to kill him, Prongs!" Sirius growled tiredly and Hermione paused for breath, cringing.

James wrenched open their curtains with a glare, hair messy and half asleep. " Can't you keep it down? It's only..." He looked at Hermione expectantly.

"Half past eleven in the morning?" She said sweetly after checking her watch briefly, and James paused, glancing at Sirius who shrugged, flopping back onto his pillow.

"Oh. Reasonable hour to be awake then." He scratched his chin where stubble was growing, and winced, looking at his fingers. "Suppose I should shave."

"I imagine Lily would be quite put out if you didn't." Hermione responded, stretching out again. "I need to go get dressed Remus, and then we could go for a walk around the grounds, if you like?" He agreed and held her a few minutes longer before releasing her.

"You might want this." He threw the invisibility cloak from his trunk as she turned at the door, and she caught it with a grin.

"Yeah, it's Ron's turn to have it tomorrow." Remus pulled a face. "Oh, stop it." She scolded and left the room in a huff; Remus' jealousy was one thing she found difficult to deal with. As a highly independent witch, Hermione couldn't stand being over-protected. Ron and especially Harry were bad enough; Remus was not only protective but also territorial, something she'd forgotten about Werewolves despite knowing one for so long.

"All right, get going." Remus shooed her out of the room. "I need to get dressed and I really can't whilst you're here." The boy flushed, acutely aware of his bare chest but he was determined not to make anything of it. Hermione turned a similar shade of red, but dared a raised eyebrow and then a wink despite her annoyance, before dashing to the girls' dormitories. The boys' room stayed decidedly quiet as James and Sirius both stared at Remus, and as a unit the two flung themselves on the werewolf, laughing and punching him in a friendly manner.

"Moony _finally_ got some!" Sirius whooped, and Remus blushed again.

"Actually, not that it's any of your damn business Pads, but we haven't done much of anything. We've only been together for a month!"

"Yes, and why has nothing been done in that length of time?" Sirius looked perplexed.

"Because not all of us are horny bastards, you old dog, and we have some semblance of respect for our ladies." James nudged Remus gently. "Right, Moony?"

"Right."

Lily had greeted Hermione with a raised eyebrow as she entered the dormitory, still slightly flustered from her flirtatious suggestion to Remus but more the continuing irritation. Saying nothing on the subject, Lily simply informed her that she was going down for an early lunch and then had to go to the library.

"Okay, Lily, and if you see Ron and Harry around tell them that I'm with Remus today and I'll see them tomorrow to go over their work."

"Absolutely. Have a good day." Hermione waved at Lily as she passed, and waited a good minute before pulling out a small cauldron and a box from under the bed, hunched over it to ensure that it couldn't be seen from the door... just in case.

"Lacewings, Lacewings…Aha! Here we go." She timed, she counted, and stirred the small insects into the potion, watching as the potion as it turned black. That was right so far, she had to wait till the full moon of the next month, which was three weeks away; timed exactly with the length of time the lacewings needed to stew. That would mean that she would hopefully begin the learning process in mid February; the 19th to be exact. With a triumphant smile, Hermione pushed the equipment back under the bed and replaced the charms before reaching for a towel and heading to the shower.

.

* * *

"Evening, Remus, Sirius, James. Have you finished your Potions essays?" Hermione clambered through the portrait hole into the common room, cheeks flushed from the exertion and the cold of the castle at night.

"Yeah, we sorted ours about an hour ago. Harry and Ron sorted for theirs?" Remus motioned for her to come and sit with him. She felt his arm slide around her waist, and she curled her knees up onto the settee, resting her head on his shoulder whilst he re-read Hogwarts: A history. Hermione fell into the comfortable words of the old book, reading it along with him.

"Yes, they should pass it quite well; mostly on their own." Hermione scanned the chapter title and relaxed back, only reading one or two sentences before yawning widely and snuggling further into the Marauder's embrace.

"Can I turn?" Remus asked quietly and she nodded. "Sleep, Hermione. You've been overdoing it. I'll keep you safe."

"Hark who's..." Yawn "...talking." she muttered, but acquiesced to Remus' suggestion – the envelope of heat created by the body she was using as a pillow practically forced her into a deep sleep.

The next night, February the 19th, was a full moon. It was a Saturday, and she had been quietly informed by James that only he and Peter would be out that night, and there was always a Marauder in the dormitory to cover for the others if necessary. Sirius would be there if she needed any help with anything or if she needed to talk to anyone.

Hermione found this rather odd, and when she raised the question of 'Why', James simply smirked, looking her up and down.

"You're tense. You're doing something you shouldn't be, and I know what books you're reading – I've seen you trying to cover them up with magazines. _Vogue_, Mya? Really?" He snorted, but with a wink and started to swagger off up the stairs to the boys' dormitory.

"James?" Hermione called out finally and he turned, looking back into the room at her. "Don't tell Remus, will you?" She said with a sigh, and James raised an eyebrow, looking concerned. "I wanted to surprise him, that's all! Not that I don't want him to know!" She babbled, looking at her feet and twisting her hands before her. "And it's a big rule to break, and I like to follow the rules, I mean I was Head Girl in my time and ..."A hand covered her mouth and she jumped, looking up at the offender.

"Hermione, calm down. Stop talking for a minute." She nodded, and James lowered his hand. "Is the potion ready yet?" She nodded once. "Right, I'll get Sirius to swap with me tonight, because I'm the best out of the lot of us at Transfiguration and I got the transformation the quickest. We'll go to the Prefect's bathroom just in case you turn into a water-animal, and we can do a couple of hour's work. Usually we'd go to the lake, but that's not a good idea tonight. Okay?" Hermione nodded again, and offered a small smile.

"Thank you." She hugged the father of her best friend for the first time, and was surprised to notice that it was almost the same as hugging Harry. Except the little differences, like the way they smelled and the fact that James was a little taller, and that James hugged back without as much hesitation as Harry did, and he didn't rest his head on hers the way Harry did, and when Harry did hug back it was always like he didn't want to let her go...

"Oh!" Hermione gasped, and then looked up at James, who was frowning.

"What?" James blinked as Hermione stepped away and began to pace, running her hands through her mane of hair that was in need of charming again.

"Has...has Harry ever said anything to you about me?" James frowned, and then shook his head.

"No, not that I recall. At the moment, he seems to tell Lily more than he tells me; the only thing Lily has mentioned was that he was glad you were with Remus and not Ron." He shrugged, and then shook his head, dismissing the train of thought. "Whatever; I'll meet you outside the prefect's bathroom at 9? It'll give you time to finish off the potion and eat something. Make sure you _do_ eat something, by the way. Personal experience." He grimaced, and with a wave he wandered up the stairs to his dormitory.

Hermione sighed and flung herself on to a couch, landing comfortably on the soft cushions. The thoughts were originally errant, random, very little things. She had sometimes caught Harry looking at her but he'd always just smiled, as if it was nothing out of the ordinary. As if watching her was simply a fact of life. She'd simply never noticed how close they were; or rather, she had, but she took it for granted as something completely normal.

For her, it _was_ completely normal. She had no feelings for Harry simply beyond the closeness they had as best friends; but it was in the short moment of hugging James she began to wonder if that was all he felt, too.

"Don't be ridiculous, Hermione." She scolded herself, shaking her head as if to clear the thought. She had an evening of painful transfiguration to endure, providing she could actually _do_ it. One had to have a degree of wildness within them, whether it was shown or not; however that small doubt didn't bother Hermione all that much.

With a smirk, she climbed the stairs to her room. She _had_ travelled 20 years into the past, after all.

.

* * *

Hermione eyed the potion nervously, glancing occasionally at James before returning her gaze to the glass she held before her. She had been battling with herself for the past five minutes once James had told her it was completely correct.

"It's now or never, Mya." The boy told her gently, and with a deep breath Hermione nodded, but still didn't drink.

"If I change it's going to hurt, isn't it?" She responded quietly, looking up at James for a longer moment and he nodded.

"Like hell, but only the first time does. If you change, that is. You still might not." He said, adding the last two comments on as afterthoughts, as if he truly believed it was within her power and spirit to become an Animagus. "After that, well, you've done your reading. It's about meditating and focus and learning to find your form within you. This is just the key to the door."

"Enough with the metaphors and similes, I think." Hermione cut in dryly, and with a mock toast towards James, she tipped her head back and swallowed the viscous yet clear liquid. It was icy cold as it slid down her throat, and tasted like no potion she'd taken before – it was indescribable and horrible and sickening all in one. Dropping the glass she bent double, clutching at her stomach, gagging and coughing, and James rubbed her back until the clenching subsided.

"Now we wait." He said and sat on the floor, rolling up his trousers to dip his feet in the water of the bath in the prefects' bathroom.

"Wait?" Hermione choked out, and James nodded absently. Oh, that was not good.

"Yeah, wait. It was over an hour before Peter transformed, but he was really tense. It's easier if you relax about it all; that way it hurts less, too." He informed her, charming the water to warm up a little.

"How long was it for you and Sirius?" Hermione asked, now curious. She'd read nothing about the length of time the potion took to work.

"Ten for me and 45 for Padfoot; but I think it's just because Transfiguration is my natural talent that it hit me so quickly. You're smart, though, smarter than Pads and probably smarter than me too, so I'm going to guess somewhere between ten minutes and half an hour." Hermione could find no fault in his analysis, so stayed quiet and watched the ripples in the water.

Ten minutes passed; then 20, and then 40. Hermione was beginning to wonder if it was actually going to work. "James, I don't think I'm going to transform." She fretted, her fingers woven together nervously, her heart beginning to race again as tears prickled her eyes. She'd _failed_?

James shook his head. "Oh, you will. You didn't bring the potion back up within the first five minutes. I'm going to guess it'll be any time..." He explained, but was interrupted as Hermione screamed, her head snapping backwards and her body tensing. "...Now, then!" He finished, a little grimly as he moved the girl nearer to the edge of the water.

Hermione was on fire, it was the only way to describe it. It was the same sort of pain one encountered after a heavy session at the gym – a bone-deep ache with fiery paths of acid spreading in the muscles – but so many times worse. Hermione's screams became unintelligible as she felt each and every bone in her body break and re-set itself into the animal form she would take, and those screams changed to purely wild noises from deep in her throat.

The hellish transformation continued, starting at her feet and finally reaching her head two minutes later; but then everything stopped. Thought; or rather, _normal_ thought stopped, the pain stopped, and with a groggy feeling of confusion, fear and stiffness Hermione opened her eyes.

The world was black and white; that was the first thing she noticed. The second thing she noticed was that there were two hideous scents in the room – one pungent and sickly, the other like chemicals, sweat, and blood. Hermione sniffed, and confirmed in her mind that one must have been the bath, and the other James.

_James_. Now, that was interesting. Where was he? Hermione couldn't see him anywhere, though she could hear his laboured breathing. _Ah,_ the girl realised with a start,_ that would be because I'm looking at the ceiling. _With a great deal of effort, Hermione rolled herself onto her side and attempted to stand, but her..._four?_... legs collapsed underneath her, sliding in four separate directions.

"Steady, Mya, steady." His voice was low and quiet, and she felt hands on her middle. "Try again, front legs first. That's it; now try the back...brilliant. Now, take a few steps forward for me..."

This was difficult, Hermione noted in the same detached manner that she had noted everything else. It took many attempts, in fact, for her to be able to walk one step, let alone a few. A blinding flash of light distracted her momentarily, and she made a noise within her throat that sounded suspiciously like a growl or a bark. What was she?

"Sorry, sorry, I just needed to get you an image to work with – it helps. Moony did it for us." He explained quickly. "We've been in here ages, so you're going to have to transform back."

Hermione cocked her head to one side in a questioning manner. "Just relax, and imagine what it is to be human, and to be you. It's easy, trust me."

What it was to be human? Hermione wasn't sure. To walk on two legs, dulled senses, the ability to talk, her hair...Within moments she regained her old form, the transition not nearly as painful, though a little uncomfortable. However, the feeling on the other side was horrific – she felt sick, in pain, dizzly and exhausted, and her muscles would not obey her, happy to leave her in a heap.

"Hermione, I'm going to help you sit up, then you're probably going to be sick..." Hermione managed to nod.

"I think so." Her voice was rough, like someone with a particularly nasty cold, but she allowed herself to be moved quickly to one of the toilets before she emptied her stomach of all contents.

"Drink." James ordered, and in her hazy state she obeyed, downing concoction after concoction until she felt somewhat normal again. "Right, are we back and able to move?" The boy asked, and Hermione nodded.

"Yes, thank you. Help me up, will you?" She held out her hands and used her legs to push up slowly, trying not to induce any more dizziness. "So, what did I turn into?" Hermione asked eagerly, very few reminants of her pain remaining.

James smirked, and then handed her one of the photographs he had taken, and her jaw dropped to the floor unceremoniously. Oh, this was going to be interesting.

There, in the photograph, a majestic silver she-wolf paraded unsteadily around the bathroom, and there was almost no way to identify it as Hermione, until one had just a single glance into the intelligent, chocolate brown eyes.

"Remus is going to go absolutely mental, isn't he?" Hermione said with a sigh, pocketing the photograph.

"Yeah, pretty much!" The dark-haired wizard replied gleefully, tousling Hermione's hair for effect. "Just think – now you can even go at it on..."

"Finish that sentence, Potter, and you're a dead man." She threatened, and James held his hands up in defeat.

"Duly noted. Shall we head back to the common room then?" Still that ever-cheerful tone, Hermione noted.

"I suppose we'd better. Let's go."

.

* * *


	10. Making Up and Other Occurences

**I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'M SO SO SO SORRY! **

**I'm back now; at least for summer, and I really hope to get it finished over the holiday. I've been completely controlled by university this year and so writing has become shoved to the side by accident. I'm sorry again and I'll try not to do it when I start another story. **

**THIS IS THE CLEAN VERSION! I want to make this really clear that in this chapter there is meant to be a very smutty scene; a little too smutty for FFnet. When this story is finished I'll be putting it up on **_**Granger Enchanted**_** where those OVER 18 ONLY will be able to read it. Those who aren't old enough… use your imagination ;) There is some description towards the end however that means I'm going to up the rating to an M just to be safe.**

**ON WITH THE STORY! **

**MM x**

**.**

**

* * *

  
**

The full moon glowed almost blue in the inky night sky, but it was all the light the three Marauders needed to test their newest recruit before meeting the real Moony. If Hermione could pass their tests, then she would be coming with them on their night-time escapade with Remus.

She passed, all right, and with flying colours.

"You know what?" Sirius said as he, James and Peter stood just into the forbidden forest, eyes focused on Hermione as she switched back and forth between human and wolf, demonstrating her developing skill whilst following their assault course.

"What?" Hermione panted, brows furrowed as she forced herself into her human form once again, pausing at the end of the course for a third time. The last two months of time-consuming and exhausting work on her animagus form had left her able to move quickly in and out of her form, and though she didn't think she was quite as fluid as she could be, she was sure she had it down to pat well enough to be recognised as a legal animagus. Did Sirius think differently? Did he think there was something wrong?

"I think you've got it. How long can you hold it?" He flashed a dazzling smile in Hermione's direction and she beamed, holding back the urge to perform a small victory dance.

"At longest, I've fallen asleep in my form and woken in it at sunrise, so all night." Sirius nodded, James smiled proudly, and Peter simply looked up at her with admiration and a little jealousy. Hermione noted it, and promised herself she would talk to the boy at her next opportunity before the jealousy developed.

"Excellent! Hermione Granger, you are now an official Animagus, the ruling declared henceforth by Padfoot, Prongs and Wormtail of the Hogwarts' Marauders." Sirius stated grandly, and Hermione mock-curtsied as James pretended to knight her with a long stick found on the floor.

"How does it feel?" Peter asked giddily, and Hermione just grinned.

"Like I'm... like I'm _free_." Her words were filled with awe at what she had managed to achieve, and she knew in that moment that there was very little that would be out of her grasp in the future.

"How about a run to the Willow?" Sirius said with a conspirational wink, and within seconds the two were bolting out of the woods and across the dark grounds of Hogwarts. James blinked then transformed himself, waiting for Wormtail to climb up to the dip between his antlers before running after the two canines. They would be exhausted come the morning, but they had more important things to think about; like how in Merlin's name Moony was going to react to their newest addition.

Upon reaching the Whomping Willow, each of the students returned to their original state, and Hermione looked expectantly and nervously at the other boys.

"Hermione, we need you to stay out here, preferably by the lake and out of the way. We'll work out his aggression and get him into his more...playful, shall we say? Yes, _playful _state. Then we'll bring him down and introduce you. He won't hurt you as long as we're here to help, all right?" James said sincerely, and Hermione nodded once before turning in the direction of the lake and bounding off.

James, Sirius and Peter looked at each other for a few moments, all finally showing the nervousness they hadn't let slip around Hermione.

"This is going to be interesting." Peter said finally, before shrinking and changing into Wormtail to reach the knot in the roots.

Interesting didn't quite cover it, Sirius thought as he made his usual way through the tunnel to reach his friend. It could turn out to be a blood bath if Moony decided another wolf had no right to be on his territory – everything was riding on his reaction.

.

* * *

Meanwhile, Hermione paced back and forth nervously, staying carefully in her wolf form as she heard Moony howl and bark in the long distance. This could go either hideously wrong or wonderfully...until the morning. She had a sincere feeling that Remus wouldn't be speaking to her for a few days once he woke, and that possibility made her more nervous than Remus trying to kill her. He would probably be highly irritated with his best friends too, and that was not what she wanted at all.

As she was seriously contemplating returning to the castle to avoid more anger than she ever wanted to inflict, she heard the happy bark of Padfoot just seconds before he wrestled her to the floor. The wolf in Hermione promptly forgot all the worries and took over a little of the controls as she began to roll with the dog, nipping playfully at his ears and neck in greeting, before pushing itself up and looking around.

Cocking her head to one side, Hermione stared at Moony with the curiosity of a wolf greeting another, and dipped her head in polite greeting and understanding that he was the alpha here. The human part of her was gripped with fear, waiting for his response; Sirius, James and Peter too were watching with drawn breaths, praying that Moony would accept a newcomer into their mismatched pack. Fear was in their eyes as they stood behind Moony, ready to move quickly if any assistance was needed to keep Hermione safe.

Then the strangest thing happened; Moony whimpered and crouched low to the ground, hiding his face in his paws, and Hermione barked: she was in, at least temporarily. More confidently, the Marauders watched as the she-wolf approached the werewolf, nudging at its paws with her nose until the head rose.

Hermione was somewhat relieved that Moony accepted her so easily, especially as he began to chase her playfully from the lake into the Forbidden Forest, but she had a sinking feeling that the minute Remus knew, he would have her neck; he seemed to think purposely in opposites to his wolf counterpart. Come the sunrise, she would have more explaining to do than she cared for, but right now there was nothing else she could really concentrate on besides the need to run, to play, and to make the most of the time she was given.

.

* * *

"Mya...Hey, Mya! Get up, change, and get out!" A sharp hiss stirred Hermione from her sleep, and with a wolf-like yawn Hermione stretched out and transformed leisurely; she was exhausted but happy with how the night had gone.

"Hermione, you need to go. We overslept and Remus is stirring – run!" James hissed and Hermione followed his orders without thinking twice about it. Peter ran ahead to tap the root of the tree so she could make an easy exit.

She wasn't quick enough. As she disappeared from the room, Remus Lupin's bleary, pain-clouded eyes watched his beautiful but heartbreakingly _stupid_ girlfriend follow one of his best friends out. One member of his traitorous group of best friends.

"Tell me." Remus croaked, rolling onto his side as Sirius and James jumped back, cringing as he coughed. "What Hermione was doing here, and which one of you am I going to kill first when I get out of the hospital wing?"

Both James and Sirius paled and bolted, leaving Remus alone to stew and think over just how he was going to punish them this time for stepping over his boundaries; except that this time, Hermione was going to be suffering too, and that wasn't good. Remus would probably do something incredibly stupid, like finish Hermione before they'd even had a chance to be together; and as the two boys collapsed on one of the sofas in the Gryffindor common room opposite the girl in question, they vowed silently that they wouldn't let it happen.

"He's not happy, is he?" Hermione questioned finally, running a hand through her wild hair.

"Nope." Sirius said as James opened his mouth to try and skirt over the issue. "And you can bet he's going to try and do something excessively noble under the pretence that he could have hurt you, you can't be with him, blah blah blah." He waved a hand and Hermione nodded, letting out a long breath.

"I expected that. I think a little bit of stubbornness is required here, don't you?" She stood, brushed off her robes, and headed towards the girls' staircase.

"Mya, just be careful ok? Standing your ground mightn't be as easy as you think when it comes to Moony." James bit his lip, looking behind him with a frown as she began to walk up the stairs. "We had to go through hell when he first found out we'd done it before he would accept it."

Hermione smirked, and remembered the way Tonks had pursued him 20 years into the future; she knew exactly what she needed to do to get him to accept her choice. She stuck her head around the corner and looked at the two boys. "You worry too much. I know what I'm doing on this one, trust me."

.

* * *

She let him avoid her for a good week, taking it all in her stride as he glared, sulked, and ignored her at every opportunity. She also, however, saw his heartbroken looks as she opened her own diary to watch him, and the one occasion that he had wept into his pillow, holding it close. After that week had passed, she began to force her way into his life again, making sure he had to listen to her in conversations, flirted lightly when it was appropriate to do so, and did her absolute best to be around him at all times.

Hermione was setting up for an argument. A very, very large argument that she wanted to get out in the open, but not _too_ public (after all, she couldn't reveal his secret, that would be horrific for him). If the Marauders, Ron, Harry and Lily could see, that would be the best; so that was why she was planning a Muggle barbecue for the weekend as the weather promised to be good for spring in Scotland. She had asked for a few disposable barbecues from Lily's parents who readily agreed, and intended to do a spot of bargaining with the house-elves in order to get sausages, mince to make burgers, small chunks of steak and vegetables for kebabs and bread buns, as well as a large bottle of tomato ketchup. There might also, she contemplated, be a few bottles of wine and Butterbeer too if Sirius, James or Peter was amenable to sneaking out into Hogsmeade (and she was comfortably sure they would be). Hopefully, Remus would relax just enough to walk with her, and she would confront him. It was a well laid plan, and she sincerely hoped it would work as she missed him more than she cared to admit to anyone but Lily, who hugged her sympathetically and helped her plan the barbecue by the lake.

The weekend rolled around, clear and relatively warm – certainly warm enough for a barbecue if a warming charm was applied to everyone. Grinning happily as she, Ron and Harry walked to the lake to set up, Hermione chatted and danced around and tripped over more than once, making her best friends laugh.

"You've changed, Hermione." Ron said suddenly as he inspected a box of matches, lighting one and dropping it in surprise as the flame burnt his fingers. "Bugger!" He cried, and Harry snorted, removing the box from Ron's grasp and putting out the forgotten match.

"You say it like it's a bad thing, Ron." Harry muttered, and winced as a wooden spoon was aimed at his head.

"Behave Potter, or you'll be on cooking duty."

"Again, you say it like it's a bad thing." Harry said more clearly, making Ron laugh despite his small burn. Hermione frowned, looking up from the sausages she was separating.

"Are you saying I can't cook?" She looked a little hurt, and Harry sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"Um…"

"Mya!" A loud shout echoed across the lawns as the Marauders plus Lily ran down towards the lake, waving madly. Even Remus seemed cheerful, which made her life an awful lot easier. Smiling back, she jumped up to hug her friends, who were all carrying bags of their own.

"Remus and I brought a few blankets each, so we've got plenty of room to sit and put all the food. I'm so excited! I can't believe I never thought of something like this before. Did you know a lot of wizards don't know how to cook, at all?" Lily began chattering as she unrolled several camp blankets and two patchwork quilts.

"Neither can I apparently." Hermione said dryly, glancing at Ron and Harry who innocently stared back with wide eyes. "See what I put up with?" She laughed along with Lily, opening up a bottle of Butterbeer each and sitting down to watch Harry and the other 'manly-men' attempt to light and cook food on the barbecue.

It was almost completely dark and the disposable barbecues had been turned into fires when Hermione braved speaking to Remus. He was smiling as she sat next to him, and she nudged his shoulder playfully.

"Do I have good ideas, or do I have good ideas?" She teased gently, watching the fire intently as she wrapped her arms around herself tightly.

"It was a fantastic idea." Remus said quietly, toying with a strand of grass. They sat in an awkward silence for a few moments before Hermione spoke again.

"When are you going to get over yourself?" She said bluntly, looking directly at him. His eyes flew to hers and his mouth hung open in shock. "I've let you avoid me for a week and a half now."

"You…let me! I…" He spluttered, looking decidedly angry. "You can't _choose_…"

"Of course I did. I wanted a good time to talk to you, and so I set one up so we could meet on a level ground where we could talk freely. Your friends, my friends, and no secrets." She scoffed at first, before laying a hand on his arm. He flinched away, glaring at her unpleasantly.

"Oh, no secrets? Like the secret you've obviously been keeping under wraps for months that you're an Animagus? Decide to _surprise _me, did you? I could have killed you!" He hissed. "Especially considering your form!"

"Oh, don't be so noble, you're not that fantastic!" She bit out, not truly meaning it but knew it would have the desired effect.

"Then why even bother to be with me in the first place? Obviously I'm not good enough for you!" He stood, heavy blanket falling to the floor. "Finally deciding that you're better than my kind? I thought you didn't care about that?" He growled.

SLAP!

Remus' head snapped to the side and his mouth hung open as his own hand flew to his cheek. He stared at her in shock as her cheeks flushed and her eyes flashed in the firelight, and suddenly he began to think that it was a very wrong thing to say.

"How _dare_ you, Remus Lupin? How dare you!" Hermione screeched, throwing herself in at full force. "Don't you understand at all? I did it because I love you, you absolute arse! _I love you!_" She screamed, before turning and storming off to walk around the edge of the lake, sitting on a rock and picking up a handful of pebbles to throw. Now all she had to do was wait for him to follow, and she was sure he would.

"Hermione?" His voice came on the breeze from behind her and she turned, eyes sparkling as he took cautious steps towards her, holding out his hand to her.

"Have we quite finished fighting now?" She asked, taking his hand and letting herself be pulled up to him, flush against his chest as he held her tightly.

"Yes, I think so. I'm so sorry." He rested his chin on her head, her arms slung comfortably around his waist. "I'm scared." He admitted finally and Hermione looked up at him, her hands moving to frame his face.

"Why, Remus? What is there to be scared of?"

"I've never been in love before. I'm scared of what it means for you, because I know that I am completely and hopelessly in love with you and I don't know what the wolf will do." He said bitterly.

Hermione's eyes welled up with tears, and she kissed him soundly, allowing herself to be wrapped up in the emotion of the moment. Stepping away, she took his hand and squeezed it, before beginning to lead the boy up the hill to their friends, who were watching them closely.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, we've got a whole night of against the rules partying."

Smiling, Remus allowed himself to be pulled by the overly enthusiastic woman he loved towards their friends, who immediately clapped and then offered them a bottle of wine each. Wrapped up under a blanket together, Hermione grinned as Harry taught Peter and Ron the rules of a thumb-war, and noted with pride that they both let Peter win after a considerable fight.

Just before 10, they stumbled up to the room of requirement which supplied them with a bar. A real bar with soundproofed walls and…music? Hermione shed her blanked and decided to take the role of barmaid, as though she couldn't cook she had bothered to learn how to make a few cocktails for her parents from bar staff on holiday. The music began to blare, and with a grin Hermione set a round of shots out; it promised to be a highly entertaining evening.

.

* * *

"Hermione, can we talk for a moment?" Lily shouted over the music as she motioned her over to one of the comfortable sofas whilst the boys took turns behind the bar pouring shots.

"What do you need?"

"One second – _muffilato! _There." The sound ebbed down enough for them to hear what they were saying to each-other well enough. "I'm going to be blunt. Are you on the potion, or do you know the spell?" The red-head said, completely straight-faced.

"I…I beg your pardon?"

"Remus wants to shag you senseless Hermione, and after the display you two put on tonight I think it's going to be very soon. I know you want it too, don't look at me like that." Hermione flushed, and then shook her head at Lily.

"I…I never thought I'd need them until recently, but I've just not had the time. I've been on the muggle contraceptive pill, if that helps?" Hermione rolled the hem of her jumper between her fingers in a soothing motion.

"Nope. Doesn't work with wizards, believe me; me and James nearly had a scare when I told him that. Look, here…" She fished out two small vials from her pocket. "This is 6 months supply. Take one now and one in three months time. I can brew you more after that if you need it. Just make sure to pop one of your hairs into it to make sure it's tuned to you, so it doesn't affect your cycle." She fished something else out of her pocket and handed it to Hermione after she swallowed the sweet blue potion. "This is a pain potion meant just for this reason. It stops your first time from hurting. Take it when you think it's going to happen."

Hermione looked over at Remus, only to meet his eyes. There was a heated look in them as he eyed the potion she had just taken. Instead of the fear she expected to feel, heat began to pool between her legs and she blushed, biting her lip, before looking back at Lily.

"You really think he…?"

"You only live once, Hermione. Go for it. I'll make a scene and get the boys out of here. You and Remus enjoy some _quality time_." She winked before cancelling the spell and stumbling over to the group of boys. "Jamesie…" She said seductively, running a finger up his arm, but swaying on her feet slightly before whispering something in his ear.

"Lads, I think it's time we call it quits, don't you?" He said nervously, wrapping his cloak around him purposefully. The two boys raised their heads from the bar and nodded wearily before slumping back down again. Harry and Ron attempted to pick themselves up off the floor, and once standing they quietly and carefully made their way out of the door to head to their respective common rooms. Whilst watching Remus solidly, Hermione uncorked and swallowed the pain-preventing potion; Remus' eyes darkened dramatically.

"Prongs, I think Hermione and I are going to stay here for a little longer if that's ok?" Remus said, but the older boy only acknowledged it with a brief nod before they were the only two left in the room, staring at each other heatedly before they moved in sync to meet in the middle of the room, their lips touching and bodies pressed together hard.

**(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)(s)  
**

"I love you, 'Mione." Remus said sleepily some hours later as they rested together on the large pile of fur rugs, wrapped up in the quilt he had brought with him to the barbecue. Her skin was still sticky with sweat, and the room smelt of sex and exertion as they lay naked together, hearts still pumping furiously.

"I love you…too." She yawned, snuggling against his chest. "I'm going to ache in the morning." She pressed her lips to an area of exposed skin and felt the rumble of a laugh coming from her new lover.

"I'll get you a pain potion when we get up and go; I'm sure the room could probably conjure you one if you thought hard enough."

"I'll be fine. If I ache, I'll remember exactly _why_ I ache…" She winked up at him and he rolled so she could rest her head on his chest completely.

"Then I say the ache should last for a little while…but not _too_ long, you understand? I intend to have you over," he stroked her back, "and over," he stroked her backside "and over again." His hand dipped to touch her folds and a finger slipped into her entrance, and she moaned.

"Don't, otherwise I'll be ready for a second round right now…" Remus laughed.

"All the more reason for me to continue, then?" Another finger plunged, and Hermione rocked against his hand as her own reached to take hold of his already semi-hard member.

"Oh Merlin, yes!"


End file.
